Democrats have released former President Donald Trump’s tax returns, the culmination of a years-long effort to learn about Trump’s finances after he refused to voluntarily release the information. The reports span nearly 6,000 pages, including more than 2,700 pages of individual returns From Trump and his wife Melania
Trump’s tax returns released After a long battle with Congress, Trump has failed to prevent the release of his tax returns for the past six years. The reports that include sensitive personal information such as social security and bank account numbers, from 2015 to 2020.
The reports span nearly 6,000 pages, including more than 2,700 pages of individual returns from Trump and his wife, Melania, and more. More than 3,000 pages about Trump’s business companies.
The publication came after a long struggle by the Democrats to publish the reports. The Democrats in the various committees claimed that transparency and the rule of law are at stake, while the Republicans claimed that the release would set a dangerous precedent that harms the protection of privacy.
“Democrats should never have done this, the Supreme Court should never have approved this, and it will lead to terrible things for so many people,” Trump said in a statement Friday. “The radical left-wing democrats took advantage of everything, but remember, it’s a dangerous two-way street.”
The reports show that Trump paid $641,931 in federal income tax in 2015, the year he began his presidential campaign. He continued to pay just $750 in 2016 and 2017. Almost a million dollars in 2018. $133,445 in 2019, and zero in 2020. Trump has said several times that he uses various methods to minimize the amount of tax he has to pay. In 2020 Trump declared negative income of $4.69 million and no taxable income. He paid no tax and claimed a refund of $5.47 million.
Republicans have argued that Democrats will regret the move once Republicans take control of Congress this week after winning congressional elections last November, and they warn that the committee’s new chairman will release the tax returns of other prominent people.
Trump’s lawyers also tried and failed to block the Manhattan district attorney’s office from obtaining Trump’s tax records as part of its investigation into his business practices, losing twice in the Supreme Court. The Trump Organization was convicted last month for tax evasion, or illegal company benefits such as apartments and luxury cars.