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.
Once you are audited they enjoy doing it over and over.
Cruz has nothing to do with this.
Gee, what a great idea. Just keep replicating the Romney campaign to help get the same end result. People are already picking the candidate most similar biographically to Romney, now they’re going to make sure he acts the same too.
LOL...I’ll just cut and paste your idiotic post/words to you/for you...
“Hey, Moron”
CRuz is the one propping up the agency he claims to hate. You can’t write a better “fail script”.
So, take your moronic posts....and ONCE AGAIN....stop posting to me. (What’s this....like my 5th request? You’re obsessed.)
Are you sure?
I thought everything bad that came out about Trump was a direct result of something Cruz said.
Oh, well. My bad.
Then nothing prevents him from NOT.
I wouldn’t. And I’m I’m just a lowly peasant here in fly over country.
The IRS has a clue about what? Dont get your post.
So Cruz wants to repeal the IRS, but before that he wants to use it to take out a political opponent?
Ironic, isn’t it? First he takes terrible advice from the clown Glenn Beck, then he stoops down further to borrowing more absurd tactics from (Beck BFF) loser Romney.
You can’t write a better FAIL script, for the guy.
Okay, I washed my arm where I had written your name.
I doubt if you will believe me, but I had totally forgotten you.
And, remember, I did not call you a moron. I stopped myself.
I think the reason I post to you is you always launch a high fast one over the plate that I’m tempted to respond to.
For example, you are saying Cruz is propping up the IRS.
He has plainly outlined a plan to do away with that agency by creating a simpler tax plan.
About whether Ted Cruz’s tax return is accurate.
It’s their business to know.
if Cruz cheats on one legal filing he may very well cheat on others. It would be several years before he would get audited and bet we would never know. Point is he has some nerve calling out Trump on his taxes when he was caught cheating on his filing with the Federal Election Committee.
I don't know when this silly practice started, but it needs to stop. His taxes are private, as are every other candidate's taxes. Their release should not be required as a prerequisite for running for office.
The IRS issued a statement to attack Trump’s statement? Ummm...anybody see anything wrong with that?
He used the "can't" word, not the "won't" one.
And they will, Cruz said last night that he was releasing his today........Where’s Trumps?
"As far as you know"........, but no one can say that for a fact.
Having set that aside, he is identical to her in character.
He is super hero, he can do anything, He can override his Attorney or say Your Fired.
Proof positive right here that Obama’s IRS is political tool by issuing that statement and inserting themselves in an election. And, his bitch McConnell and Ryan just stand by and let it happen. Just remember, Congress has the power of the purse and could of shut them down a long time ago. Especially after they went after all those tea party groups. Time to clean house and jail a lot of people at IRS after this election.
Not to hard to understand. IRS nor anyone is preventing him from doing so, it is not against the law.
He does not need his attorney to approve, it is an easy cop out. Trump is the almighty, there is nothing he can't do.
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