Trump refuses to pledge to release his tax returns before the general.

[pnwmom]

With him saying this now, I will be very surprised if we ever see them.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/08/federal-minimum-wage-trump

But Trump was unwilling to discuss taxes he has already paid. He again refused to release his tax returns, citing an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audit into some of them and “a link” between audited returns and returns not being investigated.

No law exists that forbids the release of tax returns under audit. The IRS has stated: “Nothing prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information.”

“I have very big tax returns,” Trump said on Sunday. “They’re extremely complex.”

He said he hoped to release the returns before the general election, but would not pledge to do so.

“I’ll do it as fast as the auditors finish,” he said.

[Trust Buster]

1. He'll use Sanders as the precedent.

[pnwmom]

2. That would work if Sanders were the nominee, but he won't be. And Hillary has 30 years out there.

[scscholar]

3. So it isn't, but should be

That still counts for something.

[HassleCat]

4. I don't care

Tax returns don't reveal much about candidates that would help us. We don't attach any importance to accepting big money from special interests.

[pnwmom]

6. In Trump's case they could reveal a great deal about his business dealings. We should care. nt

[unblock]

8. if the candidate is honest about his/her financials, then you're right, they don't reveal much.

well, they reveal much about how the wealthy pay less in taxes than most of us would expect, but they don't reveal so much about the candidate.

unless they lie about their financials.

for instance, if someone claims to give a ton to charity and then turns up with a tax return showing negligible charitable contributions, it's a solid bet that they were lying about their supposed generosity.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. The Con Man is not going to give you or I anything

of informational value for fear his Con would be exposed. And what he will give you will only reinforce his con.

[unblock]

7. a "link" between audited returns and returns not being investigated???

the obvious inference is that he knows he did something criminal in the returns *not* being audited, but if they find something questionable in the returns that *are* being audited, the irs can use that as an excuse to extend the audited to earlier returns.

i'm having a tough time coming up with any other explanation for such a "link"....

[gwheezie]

9. His ego won't let him do it

He'd rather bullshit through the election than reveal how much he's been lying. Bullshit has been working for him so far.

[Gothmog]

10. Romney got by with a limited release and trump is going to really push it