Senator Jim Justice to Pay Over $5 Million in Back Taxes to IRS
By Karoun Demirjian, The New York Times
Published Nov. 25, 2025 – 5:38 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Senator Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) and his wife, Cathy Justice, have reached an agreement to pay more than $5 million in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), resolving a portion of a legal dispute that Senator Justice claims has been politically motivated.
The agreement was filed Monday in federal court hours after the IRS filed a lawsuit accusing the Justices of neglecting or refusing to fully pay their 2009 tax obligations. According to the IRS lawsuit, as of early August, the couple owed $5.16 million in back taxes and accrued interest related to that tax year.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Justices have agreed to pay the outstanding amount along with any additional interest that accrues before the debt is fully settled. The filing, which was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, did not specify a payment deadline or schedule. The agreement, known as a consent judgment, is pending approval by a federal judge.
A spokesperson from Senator Justice’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Political Motivation Claims
Last month, Justice held a news conference where he alleged that the IRS’s 2009 tax assessments, initially levied in 2015—as well as subsequent assessments—were politically motivated attempts to undermine his 2024 Senate campaign. “If you don’t think these are political moves, you’re crazy,” he told reporters, suggesting that the Biden administration targeted him, though without specific evidence.
The White House declined to comment on Justice’s allegations. Notably, President Joe Biden was vice president in 2015 when the initial 2009 tax assessment was issued, and he had left office before the IRS filed tax lien notices concerning additional overdue taxes earlier this year.
Ongoing Disputes Over Refunds
Justice also claimed that he and his wife are seeking approximately $40 million in unpaid tax refunds from the IRS, though he did not provide evidence supporting this figure. He expressed confidence that ultimately they would recover significantly more from the IRS than they owe. “It’s just a situation we’ve got to go through,” he said.
The lawsuit and settlement reflect a high-profile chapter in Justice’s ongoing dispute with the IRS, which has drawn significant media attention amid his political career.
This article was originally published on nytimes.com and is republished here with permission.
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