Melissa Gilbert Explains Why She Owes $360,000 in Taxes

Melissa Gilbert Explains Why She Owes $360,000 in Taxes

Melissa Gilbert failed to pay her federal income taxes to the IRS, and now she's explaining why.

The Little House on the Prairie star blamed her $360,0000 tax debt on her acting career, the economy and her divorce.

"Like so many people across the nation, the recession hit me hard. That, plus a divorce and a dearth of acting opportunities the last few years, created a perfect storm of financial difficulty for me," she said in a statement to ET.

WATCH: Melissa Gilbert Explains Why She Got Her Breast Implants Removed 

The 51-year-old is taking measures to pay off the tax debt.

On June 4, Gilbert wrote on Twitter that she and her family are moving into their "own Little House in the Big Woods. I’m serious. It's a log house in the woods!"

NEWS: Melissa Gilbert Marries Timothy Busfield 

She also has a payment plan with the IRS.

"I've set up an installment plan to fully pay off my debt and will continue to work as hard as I can to erase this debt and dig myself out of this hole," she continued in her statement. "I am absolutely positive that I can do it."

Gilbert's positive attitude comes through on Twitter as her most recent post is of a James M. Barrie quote: "Life is a long lesson in humility."

Check out the video below to see the celebrities with divorces that cost them a lot of money


See Kate Upton’s Barely-There Bikini
Kylie Jenner Sizzles in Jacuzzi Bikini Shoot
Brooke Burke & Her Look-a-Like Daughter Pose in Bikinis