Melissa Gilbert Owes IRS $360K, Plans to Move Into Log House

The IRS always gets their man… or in this case, Melissa Gilbert.

The former Little House on the Prairie star, 51, reportedly owes $360,000 in federal income taxes. Gilbert blames the 2011-2013 tax debt on a stalled acting career, the economy, and divorce, according to The Detroit News.

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

It's a bit ironic Gilbert has had such a problem finding work since she is the former president of the Screen Actor's Guild, Hollywood's largest union representing actors.

As for the divorce part, Melissa split from her second husband, Bruce Boxleitner, in 2011 after 16 years of marriage. They had one child together and she was stepmother to two of his kids (she is also mother to daughter Dakota from her first marriage). She wed actor/director Timothy Busfield in 2013 and they live in Michigan. Melissa, Tim, and her two younger boys are downsizing and plan to move into a log cabin.

But Busfield says the move has nothing to do with financial woes.

"[The debt] has more to do with the housing crash and divorce in the past," he told the paper. "It's a product of what happened with the economy. It's unfortunate and it's been happening a lot. It's not a big deal."

Gilbert, who previously competed on Dancing With the Stars, says she has worked out 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. I am absolutely positive that I can do it."

This isn't her first time in tax trouble. The state of California has filed $112,527 worth of tax liens against Gilbert since 2013.

On Friday, Melissa tweeted the quote, "Life is a long lesson in humility."

And a lesson that you can't cheat Uncle Sam.