IRS says Rose owes almost $1 million in taxes

? Pete Rose owes almost $1 million in back federal taxes, but he is making monthly payments on the debt, his representative said Friday.

The Internal Revenue Service filed a federal tax lien in Broward County on Tuesday alleging that baseball’s career hits leader owed $973,693.28 in back taxes from 1997 to 2002.

Ross Tannenbaum, president of Dreams Inc., the marketing firm that handles Rose’s business affairs, said Friday that the lien was against a home Rose owns in California. He said the filing was not an indication that the former Cincinnati Reds slugger and manager was in danger of returning to prison over his taxes.

Rose, 63, served a five-month sentence in 1990 and 1991 for filing false tax returns by not declaring income he received from signing autographs, memorabilia sales and gambling.

“This happens to (many) Americans; it’s just news when it happens to Pete Rose,” Tannenbaum said. He said Rose had paid his taxes in full since 2002 and that he was up to date with payments on his prior debt. “I know Mr. Rose makes his payments because we take them over (to the IRS) every month.”