Posted on 02/26/2016 2:22:17 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Donald Trump claims he can't release his tax returns until he's done being audited by the IRS. But the federal agency on Friday said that's not true.
"Federal privacy rules prohibit the IRS from discussing individual tax matters. Nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information," a spokesperson for the IRS said in a statement.
The Republican presidential front-runner's refusal to release his tax documents came up repeatedly during Thursday's GOP debate, hours after former Republican nominee Mitt Romney suggested that Trump's reluctance stems from the possibility there might be a "bombshell" in his taxes.
"I want to [release them], except for many years, I've been audited every year," Trump said during the debate. "Twelve years, or something like that. Every year they audit me, audit me, audit me. Nobody gets audited - I have friends that are very wealthy people. They never get audited. I get audited every year. I will absolutely give my return, but I'm being audited now for two or three years, so I can't do it until the audit is finished, obviously. And I think people would understand that."
While the IRS claims nothing is preventing the billionaire from releasing the information, Steven Golburd, an attorney specializing in tax law, told the Washington Post Friday it may indeed be in Trump's best interest to keep them private.
"Think of an audit as an investigation, an on-going investigation," Goldburd said. "Any person that has legal counsel, their legal counsel will say, 'If you're under investigation, you should not be talking to the media, you should not be talking to anyone other than your legal counsel or through your legal counsel.'"
Trump doubled down on his refusal to release his returns during a campaign rally Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. The billionaire told the crowd that Romney didn't release his tax returns until Sept. 21, 2012 - less than two months before voters cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential election.
It is a way over rated sideshow.
Uh no.
Are you running out of anti whatever articles so now you need to dig through someone's taxes so you can nit pick it to death for the next several months?
Get a life, you need one.
Even Greta on FOX yesterday castigated Mitt Romney for his sleazy innuendos.
True. But I agree with not releasing until the audit is complete in case they have to be amended.
When did tax return release become a qualification for president anyway?
AGAIN, now see this. DONALD is the boss, at least you think so, and CAN DO anything he dang well pleases. He is hiding behind that lawyer cause it’s easy.
What should bother you and every American is that the IRS is injecting it self into a Presidential election.
But you'll over look it because they are appearing to cast dispersions on someone you don't like.
And some of you TDS'ers call Trump a fascist...smdh
I’m just not sure what the objection is here.
Here, let me help you...
IRS’s Lois Lerner called conservatives ‘a**holes’ in emails
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3321700/posts
I was listening. He did not say it was legally prohibited.
Yup @ $1000 per hour or more, you’d better.
IRS is now getting involved publicly in Presidential elections?
They want the journalists to sift through it all for irregularities and save them the work of doing it.
Lazy bums. I doubt there is anything there.
The Donald has great lawyers and this isn’t his first audit rodeo.
Gonna seem kinda stupid if he releases his tax return and the IRS goes “oh, you missed some”.
What does that have to do with this issue?? It sounds like you are reaching...
AGAIN, now see this. Only a fool hires an attorney and refuses to follow legal advise. You are pathetically angry.
On a related point..... Dr. Ben Carson told the audience tonight at the CNN GOP debate that after he spoke out against Obamacare at the National Prayer Breakfast he was audited by the Obama IRS.
Good point, one I hadn't thought of.
I was thinking the TDS'ers here would use it to nit pick it ad nauseam.
Why is the previous Republican nominee “dogging” the pending Republican nominee?
Intelligence prevents him?????????? On my.
you have got to be kidding me with that nonsense, which has never stopped anyone before...
Intelligence prevents him??????????? more than ROFL
Then I guess you man is not the super man he or you think he is.........., he is the coward we know him to be though. Lipstick on a Pig is still a pig.
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