This recession is serious! It’s even hitting muscial royalty.? Our royal purple highness, Prince Nelson is reportedly a little short. And that’s not a short joke.

A newspaper in Minnesota revealed that the pop icon is currently on a list of delinquent taxpayers. Tax records for Carver County, Minneapolis show Prince’s PRN Music Corporation owes more than $227,000 for 2009 taxes to the state and other government agencies.

According to YahooNews, the majority of the amount owed was due back in 2009, but an extra $27,000 was thrown on as a penalty for delinquency.

The county’s taxpayer services manager estimates that with all his property combined, Prince owes over $450,000 in taxes. and if he doesn’t ante up the cash before April 21 or file a written objection, he could face forfeiture on those properties, some of which he’s owned since the ’80s.

PRN Music houses Prince’s Paisley Park Studios and county records list several other properties under his full name, Prince R. Nelson, which are delinquent as well.

PRN and Prince’s studios don’t have listed phone numbers. A talent agency that has represented Prince didn’t immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment.

The delinquency list was published last week in the Chaska Herald.

I’m broke too or else I would gladly send Prince some dough. If it’s any consolation, I legally purchased ALL of Prince’s releases. Every last one of em…

What about you?