Why Do People Want to See Donald Trump's Tax Returns?

[TexasTowelie]

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases regarding access to President Donald Trump’s tax filings soon. At the heart of the cases: Can House committees and a New York grand jury subpoena financial institutions for Trump’s personal and business tax filings?

If the Supreme Court rules against Trump, it opens the possibility that the public could eventually see his personal tax return and business records, though experts say it would be unlikely to happen quickly. Here’s why people want to see Trump’s tax returns and what they may reveal about the president.

Why Do Presidents Share Their Tax Returns in the First Place?

Since Richard Nixon, presidents have shared their tax returns in some way or another with the public. Nixon perhaps explained why best: “I welcome this kind of examination because people have got to know whether or not their president’s a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.”

But Nixon had not shared his tax returns entirely willingly. During the Watergate scandal, an IRS employee leaked information from Nixon’s tax returns that suggested that the president had underpaid his taxes for two years. As reporters put pressure on Nixon to disclose his returns, he finally shared them, confirming that he had wrongly claimed a deduction and woefully underpaid his taxes. Nixon, who was under audit at the time, was sent a tax bill of about $470,000 plus interest to pay in back taxes from the IRS.

Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/why-do-people-want-to-see-donald-trumps-tax-returns

[smirkymonkey]

1. Simply because he is so hell bent on not disclosing whatever they might reveal.

Do you think he would be so defensive if there wasn't something there that would either incriminate him or prove that he was not nearly as wealthy as he claims to be? Just like his school transcripts and the Mueller report. The only reason he would have to prevent their disclosure is because they would prove that he is a liar, a cheat and a traitor.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Maybe because they want to see if Putin gave him

loans, how much, when, etc. (traitor) as well as other loans (failed businessman/ego).

[DFW]

3. They could reveal to whom he owes money--LOTS of money

If the 2016 election propelled someone into the Oval Office who has outstanding loans of hundreds of millions to Russian banks, it could be construed to mean that said someone might well be vulnerable to pressure from the country where those banks are located--especially if the Russian State is a large shareholder in those banks.

Since Trump himself proudly declared himself to be the "King of Debt," he could be revealing a vulnerability to Russian influence that he has been denying since before the 2016 election.

He got himself elected partially by selling his business "success." The question any auditor has to contend with is always, "if you have assets of $5 billion and debts of $7 billion, how rich are you really?" The answer is, of course, "as rich as the amount of debt over and above the $2 billion shortfall you can avoid paying." He can say "fuck off, I'm not paying" to some poor piano merchant in New Jersey. It is something else to try that line on Vladimir Putin.

[duforsure]

4. It will expose him criminally I think,

If the Supreme Court refuses to make his tax returns public they've been either bribed, blackmailed , or had trump contacting them suggesting to keep it hidden for him or else. I think his taxes will get exposed one way or another, and with any Justices who didn't recuse after contacts trying to corrupt their results. Or trump has Mnuchin switch doctored tax returns, ready to be handed over for trump. I also believe before this is over Justices will be exposed also. Corruption has to be stopped .

[FBaggins]

5. Too many wrong answers

The answer must be "The Congress is considering legislation related to how the IRS handles presidential tax returns and needs to evaluate whether current laws should be changed" - or something similar - or even RBG is likely to toss the suit. Congress doesn't have the power to say "we can just feel it in our bones that this guy is crooked... and this will help us prove it".

[captain queeg]

6. I'll bet they are full of lies. There won't be a smoking gun pointing to Russia

What it will show is how much he’s cheated on his taxes and that could open him to prosecution

[Buckeyeblue]

7. His tax returns will show he has more debt than assets

That's why he won't show them.