Alex Murdaugh Among SC’s Worst Tax Deadbeats as Retrial Looms

While Alex Murdaugh waits for a new trial in the killings of his wife and son, the disbarred South Carolina lawyer is also confronting another major legal and financial headache.

Newly released state records show Murdaugh owes more than $1.6 million in overdue South Carolina taxes, along with penalties and interest, placing him among the state’s largest individual tax debtors.

In its latest quarterly list of top delinquent taxpayers, published July 16, the South Carolina Department of Revenue identified “Murdaugh, Richard” as owing $1,630,201.02. The balance ranks as the fourth-highest debt tied to an individual on the current statewide report.

The SCDOR says the public disclosure of delinquent taxpayers and the amounts they owe is intended to support “transparency, fairness and compliance” across the state tax system.

State revenue officials said taxpayers are not added to the public list until the agency has made repeated efforts to collect, including letters, phone calls or attempts at in-person contact. Everyone named on the list also has a state tax lien filed against them, making the debt part of the public record.

“We’ve sent letters, made calls, or attempted personal contact multiple times with no resolution,” the department explains in its online FAQ section.

Murdaugh’s seven-figure tax debt comes as his attorneys prepare to defend him in a second murder trial. Dick Harpootlian previously told INC News that the lawyers received a substantial flat fee upfront roughly five years ago and would remain on the case through its conclusion.

“We got paid a fee up front, you know, five years ago. It was a big fee,” he said. “So we’re in the case until it’s over.”

Harpootlian conceded that the yearslong legal battle could prove costly for his firm but said that risk is inherent in his work.

“Sometimes you take cases that turn out to be economically losers, but that’s the nature of the game,” he said. “We take flat fees.”

Murdaugh, once a powerful Lowcountry lawyer from a prominent legal dynasty, was convicted in March 2023 of gunning down his wife and son, Maggie and Paul. Prosecutors argued at trial that Murdaugh killed them to gain sympathy and distract from a collapsing web of financial crimes, stolen client money and lies.

The case was thrown back into turmoil after allegations surfaced that court clerk Rebecca Hill made improper comments to jurors during the trial. Murdaugh’s defense argued she tampered with the jury to secure a guilty verdict and boost publicity for a book.

The court found that Hill was drawn by the “siren call of celebrity” and allowed public attention to overcome her duty. The state has maintained that Murdaugh received a fair trial, but the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the murder and weapons convictions and remanded the case for new proceedings.

Murdaugh’s attorneys have already previewed some of the issues they want to raise before any retrial, including a motion to test unknown male DNA reportedly found under Maggie’s fingernails.

INC News has reached out to Murdaugh’s attorneys and state prosecutors for comment.