NEWSTodd and Julie Chrisley Reportedly Owe $1.5 Million in Taxes Despite Donald Trump's Presidential Pardons
New trouble is brewing for Trump-pardoned reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley.
Oct. 15 2026, Published 12:21 p.m. ET
Reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley owe more than $1.5 million in unpaid federal taxes, according to a federal tax lien the Internal Revenue Service filed in Davidson County, Tenn., on August 19, 2026.
This newly disclosed tax debt emerged more than a year after President Donald Trump granted the reality TV stars full and unconditional presidential pardons in May 2025.
A presidential pardon only clears a recipient's federal criminal convictions and sentences; it does not erase separate civil tax obligations or clean a debtor's financial slate with the IRS.
The IRS claimed Julie and Todd Chrisley owe more than $1.5 million in unpaid federal taxes.
The couple became famous by working as real estate entrepreneurs before leveraging their wealth into a career as reality television stars.
Their story caught television producers' attention, and in 2014, they launched their flagship reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, on the USA Network.
The docu-soap chronicled the family's lavish lifestyle — featuring luxury cars, mansions and high-end vacations — anchored by Todd's flamboyant personality and strictly protective, micromanaging parenting style.
The newly filed lien totaling $1,571,452 represents separate unpaid tax assessments. It consists of $142,410.72 owed for the tax period ending December 31, 2021, and $1,429,041.89 owed for the tax period ending December 31, 2022.
Inside Their Jail Sentence
The Chrisleys were fully pardoned by Donald Trump after serving two and a half years in prison for bank fraud.
The POTUS issued full pardons to the Chrisley Knows Best stars, walking them out of federal custody after they served roughly two and a half years. The criminal clemency wiped out 57-year-old Todd's 12-year sentence, 53-year-old Julie's seven-year sentence, and their ordered supervised release.
An Atlanta jury originally convicted the couple in June 2022 on federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to obstruct the IRS.
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Trump pardoned the couple who used falsified documents to obtain over $36 million in fraudulent bank loans to support their lavish lifestyle.
Federal prosecutors proved the Chrisleys used falsified financial documents to obtain more than $36 million in fraudulent community bank loans to support an extravagant lifestyle before hiding their television earnings from tax authorities.
After they were released from federal prison in 2025, the couple returned to the public eye by hosting the podcast “Chrisley Confessions 2.0.” The Chrisleys' representatives have not publicly commented on the 2026 tax lien.
The Chrisley's Daughter Helped Them Get Out of Jail
The couple's daughter, Savannah, referred to her parents as 'The Trumps of the South.'
Savannah Chrisley’s campaign for her parents' freedom was a highly strategic, two-and-a-half-year media and political blitz. After Todd and Julie's 2022 convictions, Savannah, 29, became a vocal criminal justice advocate, aggressively using public media and back-channel political networks to capture the POTUS' attention.
She repeatedly highlighted that IRS agents had allegedly placed her father's face on a dartboard and referred to the Chrisleys as the "Trumps of the South." This framing resonated strongly with Donald, who viewed the family's situation through the lens of his own legal battles.
While they remain silent on this new 2026 lien, Todd has historically used social media and his podcast to vehemently deny tax liabilities, famously stating during a previous state-level tax dispute.
"We stand steadfast in our faith and look forward to every dirty deed being exposed with more truth than anyone could ever imagine,” he previously said.
