Will Trump Be Forced to Release Returns?

[polgara]

It could show us a great deal about a candidate's honesty and sincerity......especially when one of his most boastful, self-proclaimed qualifications is his own financial success.

Greetings, FluffyNinja. :2wave:

And we are going to learn this from one year's tax return? :shock:

 

[FluffyNinja]

Greetings, FluffyNinja. :2wave:

And we are going to learn this from one year's tax return? :shock:

Possibly. And if I'm not mistaken we're talking about at least the past two years. I don't think he's released either. Lots and lots of interesting financial transactions can transpire in a 730 day period.

 

[polgara]

I think he should just do it so we don't have to hear about it anymore, because I'm sick of hearing about it. And Hillary won't be able to attack him during the debates for not releasing his tax returns.

Greetings, TheGoverness. :2wave:

Well I can't argue with your reasoning - I feel the same way about it! :lamo

 

[Patrickt]

Greetings, Beaudreaux. :2wave:

:agree: I've never understood the need for anyone to know what a person's tax return shows! It sounds like a form of envy or something. Is it supposed to let us know something we couldn't do anything about anyway? Ridiculous! :thumbdown:

I can't think of any reason anyone would envy Donald Trump but if you do you can explain it. If you catalogue the reasons I wouldn't vote for Mr. Trump or Sen. Clinton there is nothing I can do about any of it. I can't make either one of them honest, trustworthy, decent, or honorable. But, know what I know, that I can't do anything about, influences my vote.

 

[Painter]

He wont because he "can't".

If the public saw what he is hiding, he'd stand no chance what-so-ever.

 

[polgara]

Possibly. And if I'm not mistaken we're talking about at least the past two years. I don't think he's released either. Lots and lots of interesting financial transactions can transpire in a 730 day period.

True that! Since he is a businessman, perhaps the thinking is that his might be more interesting than most? I don't recall ever seeing or hearing about anybody's from past years, though, but at that financial level, you know they probably have the best tax experts money can buy!

 

[year2late]

If he wasn't such a coward, he would release them.

Perhaps someone could ask Orly Taitz to help with the discovery of the long form tax certificate.

 

[Fearandloathing]

"Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine released their 2015 tax returns on Friday – a move meant to put pressure on Donald Trump to disclose his own returns."
Clinton releases tax returns, presses Trump to follow suit | Fox News

"The tax release is part of an effort to undercut Trump's character by questioning the New York businessman's record. Trump has refused to make his filings public, saying they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and that he'll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns."

So, will Mr. Trump be forced to release his tax returns? If you go with Mr. Trump's claim that he won't release them until his IRS audit is done, that's a no.

I doubt he will and I doubt it will matter. If the election were held today he'd lose by a landslide

Party risks drowning with 'Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck,' Republicans' letter says - World - CBC News

..and not only does the party know it, but it appears he knows it and doesn't give a damn.

Trump entertains the notion he could lose, notes campaign challenges - The Globe and Mail

I doubt he will go down with the ship though, he'll just walk away and leave a trail of disaster as he has with all his other 'deals'. Have some Trump Steak.

 

[upsideguy]

I don't think he dares to release them.

Real estate developers have very complex tax returns. He probably pays no income tax and probably hasn't for awhile.

 

[beefheart]

Perhaps someone could ask Orly Taitz to help with the discovery of the long form tax certificate.

Oily Tights!

 

[upsideguy]

One of two things will happen should he release them and both will be equally as damaging: (A) Michael Bloomberg will be vindicated and we will see that Trump is a liar and not worth anywhere close to the boastful claims he's made or (B)The public will be privy to all of his unscrupulous tax shelters and questionable accounts revealing him as the hypocrite that he is and crushing his "populist" image.

Income taxes are about income, not worth. A team a forensic accountants and real estate valuation specialists might be able to extrapolate a net worth estimate, but not without a ridiculous amount of effort. More likely, it would show that he pays zero tax, because he has zero taxable income... and, it may show he gives nothing to charity.

 

[manise]

"Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine released their 2015 tax returns on Friday – a move meant to put pressure on Donald Trump to disclose his own returns."
Clinton releases tax returns, presses Trump to follow suit | Fox News

"The tax release is part of an effort to undercut Trump's character by questioning the New York businessman's record. Trump has refused to make his filings public, saying they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and that he'll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns."

So, will Mr. Trump be forced to release his tax returns? If you go with Mr. Trump's claim that he won't release them until his IRS audit is done, that's a no.

Never. Trump would never cave to a Hillary demand. And that suits Hillary just fine. She can allege all kinds of things about Trump's finances---tax cheating, off shore accounts, lies about charitable giving, etc.---and challenge Trump to prove her wrong.

Tax returns alone won't decide the election--it didn't fatally hurt Romney. But they can play into a larger narrative of a faux populist with dodgy business dealings to sway some undecided voters in Rust Belt and swing states the south. In the worst case scenario from Hillary's point of view, even if she doesn't net more undecided votes she does open up a rich vein of attacks that may trigger another Trump tirade in the coming weeks. That tirade could cost Trump more than anything hiding in his tax returns.

 

[Cardinal]

I don't know about that. I haven't seen his returns, and I doubt I, personally, would be able to decipher them anyway. What would be the political upside for Trump if he released them?

If he makes as much or donates as much as he suggests, quite a lot. If not...then, well...

 

[FluffyNinja]

Income taxes are about income, not worth. A team a forensic accountants and real estate valuation specialists might be able to extrapolate a net worth estimate, but not without a ridiculous amount of effort. More likely, it would show that he pays zero tax, because he has zero taxable income... and, it may show he gives nothing to charity.

Quite true. However; it should at least reflect his capital gains and how much income he generated from investments that don't necessarily involve helping to create jobs for Americans or to "make America great."

 

[mmi]

A team a forensic accountants and real estate valuation specialists might be able to extrapolate a net worth estimate, but not without a ridiculous amount of effort.

Such an effort would be easily put together. This is world history being made before our eyes.

Sorry to say I haven't read this thread other than the most recent post, which led me back to the one I'm responding to, but I want to say that of course he can't be literally forced to release his returns, and I figure he never will. My expectation is that his wealth is MUCH MUCH less than he has publicly and repeatedly stated (likely something less than $500 million) and that's a lie he does not want to have to answer for.

 

[MaggieD]

If he makes as much or donates as much as he suggests, quite a lot. If not...then, well...

Any businessman in his right mind doesn't make ANY personal donations. Donations are almost always made above the line using before tax dollars from their businesses. Since you didn't realize that, you, like most Americans, wouldn't understand his sure-to-be very complicated return if he DID release it.

Personally, I think he'd be a fool to put it out there for scrutiny by a bunch of W2 morons.

PS...we should probably keep in mind that returns we HAVE seen in the past? May not be the actual returns of those releasing them. It's not like the IRS can verify them...the IRS won't even DISCUSS them.

 

[upsideguy]

Such an effort would be easily put together. This is world history being made before our eyes.

Sorry to say I haven't read this thread other than the most recent post, which led me back to the one I'm responding to, but I want to say that of course he can't be literally forced to release his returns, and I figure he never will. My expectation is that his wealth is MUCH MUCH less than he has publicly and repeatedly stated (likely something less than $500 million) and that's a lie he does not want to have to answer for.

I agree... he is pompous ass with a fragile ego. He overstates everything. He is wealthy, but probably no where near as wealthy as he wants us to believe....

That all said, he won't release and it will not make a difference. Trump is cooked. Showing his tax returns will not help and really could only bury him deeper.

 

[beefheart]

He is a ***** if he doesn't

 

[mmi]

Any businessman in his right mind doesn't make ANY personal donations.

Yeah, but what about Frumpy?

>>he'd be a fool to put it out there for scrutiny by a bunch of W2 morons.

But the reason he won't put it out there is because even more people, a number of them supporters, would realise he's a laughable, BSing POS.

>>returns we HAVE seen in the past … May not be the actual returns of those releasing them.

Thanks for the laugh.

He overstates everything.

Except for the size of his hands.

>>he won't release and it will not make a difference.

Yes, death by a thousand tweets.

>>Trump is cooked.

And then left out in the hot sun. Beginning to reek … badly. (Said in a Trumpterian voice.)

>>Showing his tax returns … could only bury him deeper.

I agree. This train wreck is going to be … yuge. We'll never see anything like it again.

He is a ***** if he doesn't

He's much worse than a *****, and that's why he won't. He may not even debate. The GOP may cut him off before the debates.

 

[shrubnose]

My guess is that after Trump gets his butt handed to him in November everyone will know that you have to be a lot richer than he's claimed that he is to buy your way into the White House.

:lol:

 

[humbolt]

If he makes as much or donates as much as he suggests, quite a lot. If not...then, well...

I don't believe people care so much about tax returns.

 

[polgara]

I don't believe people care so much about tax returns.

Good morning, humbolt. :2wave:

Truth be known, mine is the only one I really care about! Everyone else is on their own! :lamo

 

[yankintx]

Perhaps someone could ask Orly Taitz to help with the discovery of the long form tax certificate.

The birther queen was probably on the Dons payroll. Much like those Detectives on the Trump pay roll, the same ones who discovered a bombshell in Hawaii lol.

 

[haymarket]

My guess is that after Trump gets his butt handed to him in November everyone will know that you have to be a lot richer than he's claimed that he is to buy your way into the White House.

:lol:

For a guy who apparently has money to burn he is spending precious little in advertising these days. The result is that he is committing the cardinal sin of politics in allowing your opponent to define you. By the time he gets around to it - if he does - the damage is already done and its increasingly difficult to overcome a mindset that has already taken over a voter.

 

[humbolt]

Good morning, humbolt. :2wave:

Truth be known, mine is the only one I really care about! Everyone else is on their own! :lamo

Actually determining Trump's net worth would be a challenge. His finances aren't very diverse, and naturally they're mostly involved in what could be characterized as speculative real estate.

The average person can't fathom billions in personal wealth. I don't think whether Trump is worth 2 billion or 8 billion is significant to many except, as you say, Trump.