Posted on 05/13/2016 7:55:09 AM PDT by Trumpinator
Donald J. Trump said Friday that he doesn’t believe voters have a right to see his tax returns, and insisted it’s “none of your business” when pressed on what tax rate he himself pays — a question that tripped up Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race.
Mr. Trump made the comments in an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” as he continued to try to answer questions about his change in explanations over the last year about why he won’t release the taxes.
When the interviewer, George Stephanopoulos asked Mr. Trump directly if he thought voters had a right to see his returns, something that presidential nominees have provided for roughly 40 years, the candidate replied, “I don’t think they do.”
Mr. Trump added: “But I do say this, I will really gladly give them — not going to learn anything but it’s under routine audit. When the audit ends I’ll present them. That should be before the election. I hope it’s before the election.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
And to further make the point, the “tradition” of releasing tax returns was to ensure that no so-called public servant was making money as result of their selfless “service” to us peons. This was pointed out to me by someone who knows such things better than I do.
Since Trump has never derived his income as a gov’t employee, but does derive his income as a private citizen, releasing these returns serves one purpose only:
To provide fodder for his political enemies, and a roadmap for his business competitors.
I do not believe a candidate who is spending millions of his own dollars on a campaign, will take a salary of $ 1.00 per yr (and probably make his rich friends do the same, btw), is also required to bankrupt the family business that his kids will inherit, just to satisfy the political jackals.
Enough is enough.
a tax return can be construed any which way someone wants to interpret it-it’s a no win situation for Trump-Good for him-tell them to take a hike!
Special preference deductions? WTH does that mean? Trump did not write the tax laws,he merely abides them and like any SMART tax payer avails himself of every possible way to pay as little as possible.
He is absolutely right to say what he said. It is no one elses business. If harassed about this he should simply say if you do not like my keeping my personal business to myself then do not vote for me or else petition the Congress to pass a law requiring candidates to release their returns.
No, it is not. Lot's of mega donors give to charity out of ego so they can have their name on the building for example.
I agree.
It’s especially no ones business when the candidate is a business person, not really a politician. Business returns are way more complicated and may disclose insight into business entities and the public isn’t entitled to view.
This is funny. If Trump does it by following tax law, he’ll be an absolute HERO if he pays next to no taxes!
I sure wouldn't want to release all the names of my bank accounts which is on another schedule. It's like inviting hackers.
Bottom line....if he releases anything, let it be form 1040...2 pages...that will give the rate.
Tax History Project -- Presidential Tax Returns
Gerald Ford did not release his returns, but he did release summary data about his federal taxes for the years between 1966 and 1975.
Summary of federal taxes at: www.ford.utexas.edu/library...taxes.htm
Not busting your chops, just a FWIW, and comparison of what was released.
I agree with Trump. Voters have no right to see his tax return.
It’s listed no place in the constitution and no place in federal law that I know of.
If I were Trump, I’d channel every dime I have into the business and take practically no salary at all. Everything else would be a business related expense.
PLEASE, please don’t relent!
Keep telling them, NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!
To defeat a Liberal you must NEVER play their game!
You are totally correct - but that business tarted with him - funny thing is I always assumed it was a law because all the candidates did it.
And the transcripts of Hillary’s speeches to Goldman Sachs.
That is the correct answer. Trump said he is audited often. I assume that he is paying whatever he legally has to pay and it is none of my business what that is.
He should have simply turned the question around on old Steffy, who got $105M for a 7 year ABC contract.
“George, what is your tax rate?”
“Did it go up or down since you worked for the Clinton White House?”
I'm waiting for him to say he'll release his returns right after Shrillary releases her 30,000+ "deleted" emails &/or transcripts of her Wall St speeches - the contents of which are far more relevant to a campaign.
BTW, anyone remember how when they checked back in '08, Biden & his wife had a history of giving a few hundred dollars a year to charity (on income in the vicinity of $200k), but in the year before the election he suddenly got the impulse to be generous & donated a lot more?!
He entered the presidential race like a tech disrupt company and completely threw off the old way politicians were trained to perform on campaign. A lot of people are treating his run as a lark - I think he planned it for a long time. That should scare his enemies that he plans like this.
Once past the headline...The above explanation is certainly not the equivalent of "None of your business".
The stuff that should be required should be what every new hire must provide to an employer; i.e., proof of citizenship (birth certificate), if a college or high school graduate, transcripts, etc. There are probably more but I haven’t applied for a job in over 40 years so I forget. Oh, a drug test!
Never said he wrote the tax code. But fancy/schmancy tax breaks, even allowed by law, don't impress the everyday Joe. His opposition will be able to exploit those against him if he uses them.
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