The charge relates to the singer not paying taxes on roughly £1.2m of earnings she made between 2005 and 2007.

Hill, who pleaded guilty last year, also faces three months of home confinement.

In a statement to a New Jersey court, Hill - who claimed she failed to pay taxes after quitting music and raising children - said:

"I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was being denied that."

Before sentencing, her attorney said that the singer had previously paid £624,000 in accordance with the New Jersey state.

As previously reported, Hill recently unleashed a new track, which was rush-released due to a "legal deadline".

The singer, who is facing sentencing for tax evasion, said in a post on Tumblr that she has signed a deal with Sony to create her own label.

It was reported that she had signed a contract worth $1m to record five songs, but Hill suggested that the figure was wrong. She said:

"It has been reported that I signed a new record deal, and that I did this to pay taxes. Yes, I have recently entered into an agreement with Sony Worldwide Entertainment, to launch a new label, on which my new music will be released. And yes, I am working on new music."

The former Fugees star added: "The nature of my new business venture, as well as the dollar amount reported, was inaccurate, only a portion of the overall deal. Keep in mind, my past recordings have sold over 50,000,000 units worldwide, earning the label a tremendous amount of money (a fraction of which actually came to me)."

Hill has pleaded guilty to not paying taxes on $1.8m (£1.2m) that she earned from 2005 to 2007.

The singer is due to face sentencing on the matter on May 6.

The Times originally wrote that Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media was Sir Elton's former accountant, but they were forced to print a correction that stated this was not the case.

Sir Elton's legal team have now described the correction "wholly inadequate".

William McCormick QC stated in Sir Elton's papers that the pop icon was concerned about his reputation and charity work after the damaging story had been published:

"The allegations are particularly damaging to the claimant's reputation in the sphere of charity fundraising."

Sir Elton's lawyers said the articles caused the 'Your Song' superstar "severe damage to his reputation and personal distress and embarrassment" and they will seek damages for "the sense of insult and injury".

Watch his fantastic performance at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert here:

She appeared at the hearing, which was held in Newark, New Jersey, wearing a dark blazer and floor-length full peach coloured skirt where she confirmed that she 'intentionally and willingly' failed to file the tax returns.

Although her attorney Nathan Hochman explained that she plans to pay back everything she owes, Hill faces a maximum one-year sentence on each of the three counts with which she has been charged.

Referring to Hill's case in particular, Hochman confessed that she was only targeted because of her celebrity status:

"There are many people in society who fail to file their taxes on time who only face civil liability. They chose Ms. Hill in particular because of who she was."

Her sentencing will be held in November and was delayed from October to give the 'No Woman, No Cry' singer a chance to repay the taxes she owes.

Guitarist Serge Pizzorno told the Daily Star that the 8 Out of 10 Cats host, who was reported this week to have put £3.3million in an offshore account, must have known he was in the wrong:

“I like Jimmy Carr a lot but it does grind on you. Saying you didn’t know what was going on – I don’t think anyone believes that. You might not like it but if you want to live in this beautiful country you’ve got to dig in.”

The 31-year-old also went on to reveal how thrilled the band are to be playing Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend:

“Playing to people who have no idea who we are is exciting – we have to turn people on again.

“The good old English weather doesn’t stop us. People get on with it, which is the beauty.”

Art Uncut, a direct action group, have promised to unleash a giant inflatable in front of the BBC's camera crew before the 'Elevation' stars headline the Pyramid Stage tonight to campaign against the band's alleged 'tax dodge' in their native Ireland. 

Campaign activist, Anna Walker, said:

"Everyone there will see it. If the BBC do not broadcast it, there is little doubt that it will have been an editorial decision."

Another campaigner, Charlie Dewar, added:

"U2's multimillion-euro tax dodge is depriving the Irish people at a time when they desperately need income to offset the Irish government's savage austerity programme."

"Tax nestling in the band's bank account should be helping to keep open the hospitals, schools and libraries that are closing all over Ireland."

"Bono is well known for his anti-poverty campaigning but Art Uncut is accusing him of hypocrisy."

Watch Bono and Edge talk about their music for the new Spiderman musical here: