The Valley Star Brittany Cartwright Battles Nearly Half-Million Dollar Tax Dispute

When tax season rolls around, most of us dread filing our returns. For“The Valley”star Brittany Cartwright, the nightmare scenario just got very real—she’s now on California’s radar for nearly half a million dollars in unpaid taxes.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, Cartwright appears on the California Franchise Tax Board’s semiannual“Top 500 Delinquencies”list, which tracks the state’s largest outstanding personal income tax debts exceeding $100,000. The alleged tab: $463,632.12. That’s the kind of number that makes your stomach drop, whether you’re a reality TV star or not.

But here’s where the plot thickens. Cartwright says this whole mess traces back to a filing error from years past, not recent negligence. Her CPA, Christopher Fank, who has handled her taxes for the past five years, confirms she’s been current on all her tax obligations during that time. The real culprit? Her 2019 taxes apparently reported what Fank calls“phantom income and tax”under Cartwright’s name—essentially, income she never actually earned showing up on her return.

The good news is that her team isn’t sitting idle. Fank says he’s working directly with the California Franchise Tax Board to straighten things out. Even better, the agency has agreed to place a hold on the account while Cartwright submits proof she doesn’t owe the disputed amount. So there’s a clear path forward, though the resolution likely won’t be quick or painless.

This situation serves as a stark reminder that even when you’re making good money and staying current with your obligations, a single mistake from years back can haunt you. The silver lining? Cartwright has documentation and professional representation to fight this, which puts her in a far better position than many people who face tax disputes with limited resources. The California Franchise Tax Board’s willingness to hold the account while the error gets sorted is also encouraging—it suggests there’s genuine good faith on both sides to resolve this legitimately.