A US federal judge has sentenced Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes to three years in prison for failing to file tax returns from 1999 to 2004.

Judge William Terrell Hodges laid down the harshest possible sentence Thursday against Snipes, 45, after the star of "Demolition Man" and the "Blade" vampire movie trilogy was found guilty in February on three misdemeanor counts.

According to US Attorney Scotland Morris, who argued the government's case, Snipes currently owes more than 20 million dollars in back taxes and penalties.

The actor made a five-million dollar payment to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Thursday, but Morris dismissed it as "a fraction of what he owes."

"Snipes' long prison sentence should send a loud and crystal clear message to all tax defiers that if they engage in similar tax defier conduct, they face joining him and his co-defendants ... as inmates in prison," said Nathan Hochman, an official at the US Department of Justice Tax Division.

"The law is very clear: people must pay their taxes," added IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman. "There is no secret formula that eliminates a person's tax obligations, nor are there any special exceptions."

Attorneys for Snipes, a veteran of some 50 movies and father of five, vowed to appeal.

"We were hoping for a complete acquittal," Snipes attorney Linda Moreno told reporters. "I have faith in the process, and I have faith in the jury system. We will appeal."

Another defense attorney, Carmen Hernandez, said: "Mr Snipes was sentenced because he's Mr. Snipes."

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