Would this be legal for the IRS commissioner to do?

[dsc]

Could the commissioner announce that if Donald Trump makes a tax return public, the IRS won't audit it and will stop any audits on that return that might be in progress? They could say, we believe it is in the public's interest to see these and that the public can decide if he is immune or not.

[MohRokTah]

1. No.

It would be a blatant violation of the Hatch Act.

[dsc]

2. why

he isn't supporting or opposing Trump. He is saying the President's taxes are a political issue to be solved by the people.

[oberliner]

4. It is illegal for the IRS to use official authority or influence to interfere with an election

Pretty clear cut.

[MohRokTah]

5. You used the magic word to describe it. "Political"

Since it's a political issue, using the power of his position to resolve it is a blatant violation of the Hatch Act.

[dsc]

6. He isn't resolving any issue

he is simply saying, I am using my authority to withhold prosecution for alleged tax crimes. Yes, it would make Trump decide what to do, to his possible political detriment but to his possible legal benefit.

[pinboy3niner]

9. Interfering with an ongoing audit is giving unequal treatment under the law

Clearly unconstitutional and illegal. It's singling one taxpayer out for favorable treatment, regardless of what you consider a neutral motive.

[Journeyman]

3. It would certainly pose an interesting quandary for Trump . . .

though I suspect he'd merely weather the storm and continue to refuse to release them, using his recent dodge about how damaging Romney's release proved to his campaign -- it came too late and he didn't have time to explain, was the official Trump line if I remember right.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Not legal and not necessary. IRS already said audit does not prevent releases.

Trump has been informed of this multiple times, but hopes voters do not know this.

Inform voters that Trump is free to release his tax returns and knows it but continues to stonewall the citizens of the USA.

There are many theories about the reasons he might be hiding: low net worth, high indebtedness, debt to Russian oligarchs, investments by Russian oligarchs, multiple tax dodges = low tax rate, charity scams, ....

The leading theory is the "hiding for all those reasons" theory.
The second leading theory is that he is hiding them for many of those reasons.
The third leading theory is that he is hiding them for one of those reasons.