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Why isn't Trump releasing his tax returns? What is his reason for not doing so? Hasn't all other candidates for president in recent years?
11 Answers
- Anne ArkeyLv 75 years agoFavorite Answer
Two reasons -- One, his returns would show everyone he's not the billionaire he claims he is, two, he pays almost no taxes. Probably less that you do.
- SofttouchmaleLv 75 years ago
Its an interesting question but an irrelevant one. In order to run you need to file financial disclosures that give more detail than a tax return. Trump probably has more notes and other items in his tax returns than most because he owns various enterprises through stock and probably a few partnerships, and a host of different business entities.
What goes on to an IRS form is not necessarily an accurate picture of what a person's net worth is, or whether they have conflicts of interest.
And tax returns are considered confidential records that are held by the US Government and by law cannot be released to just anybody.
A candidate may disclose a tax return just like anyone else, but they are not required to.
I think Trump's actual holdings are probably well known as it is. His financial disclosure forms are subject to government scrutiny anyway.
Personally when I look at a tax return, I would have to back out numbers in order to try and divine what a net worth really is. So the tax returns don't necessarily prove anything as to net worth.
- Mr. SmartypantsLv 75 years ago
Mitt Romney released only one tax return, and for weeks at the height of the campaign the discussion was about how little he paid in taxes. Romney tried to make it sound like it was heroic, even patriotic, to pay as little in taxes as he could get away with, but the voters didn't see it that way. Trump may pay even less in taxes, as a percentage of income.
Trump has a whole army of lawyers working for him full-time. I'm sure he spends millions of dollars a year on legal services to reduce his tax bill through 'creative accounting' and every loophole his people can find. He has a history of business failures in which he got a lot richer by losing only other peoples' money, cheating investors and contractors. Tax returns would show his sleazy business practices.
Plus tax returns might show how rich he is, that is, not nearly as rich as he says. He's the king of debt! He's leveraged to a huge degree. He may turn out not even to be a billionaire. That would be embarrassing!
- strpentaLv 75 years ago
The only reason he wouldn't is b/c he's done something in the past he doesn't want to admit. He knows how nasty politics are..he apparently thinks it's better to create doubt by not showing them than to reveal whatever it is hiding. And he says he can be open and honest about anything b/c he's not beholden to anyone. lol
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- 5 years ago
It cannot be from paying too little in taxes. His followers WANT to cut taxes for the rich. So the only other thing left is his actual status as a billionaire. His entire celebrity career is built on being a billionaire.
- Anonymous5 years ago
In the 2012 Presidential election Senator Harry Reid said that he had it on good authority that Mitt Romney hadn't paid any taxes for the last eight years.
Of course it was a lie.
After the elections someone confronted Reid about the truth of that claim and dear old Harry just said "we won didn't we"
Trump's income taxes revealed to Democrats will just give them more to lie about.
Just like they did in 2012.
If I was Trump I would never release my income taxes
- Anonymous5 years ago
It is not required by law; none of the Framers were asked to; it isn't customary; it has nothing to do with the problems that have all but castrated the US and Her Citizenry for half a century.
Why is it relevant?
Perhaps he'll wait until more than 3 years after the election to release his birth certificate. Being naturally born on U.S. soil IS a Constitutional requirement.
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- ?Lv 75 years ago
Because he knows that you dems will nit pick them for anything you can use to smear him. Obama hasn't ever released his educational records. Why?
- SummertimeLv 75 years ago
For possibly 3 reasons. He is broke. He is lying about his charities, or his ties to Russia.