Egads!
Actually, the most interesting item the article is that public tax return info has plenty of precedent in US history, and tax returns being sacrosanct is a relatively modern phenomenon in the US.
Gosh, wonder what group made hiding sources (and amount) of income the norm?
GOP Warns Releasing Trump’s Taxes Could Lead to Transparency
44 view(s)
Is transparency a bad thing?
+Linda Tewes yup, especially for those w/offshore tax evading accounts, corp donors, money laundering, insider trading.
In Sweden and many other European countries tax return information is public information available to everyone. This transparency is seen as vital and far as I am aware have never been put into question.
What would the arguments be for keeping tax return information a secret?
Like investigating Hillary and Obama?
Once privacy is relinquished, it cannot be retreived. Everyone will be subject to an invasion, not just the people you disagree with. If there is evidence of a crime it can be investigated. Otherwise, it's a slippery slope.
+Per Siden At least under US law, tax returns can reveal things that you may prefer to remain secret – for instance, reporting monetary losses from gambling (you can claim that as a business expense to offset winnings, so if you won US$100K at one casino but lost $75K at another, you'd only have net income of $25K to pay taxes on). Then there's the issue of family privacy – if you're paying or receiving alimony to/from a person you divorced, or supporting children you've not publicly acknowledged, you can be outed by your tax return. Farmers and other small business owners may not want the exact financial health of their enterprise known, because that gives valuable information to their competitors.
And so on….
everyone who sees no reason for protecting personal privacy please leave your account id and password for all your computer accounts below.
https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/162/Slippery-Slope
+Per Siden "What would the arguments be for keeping tax return information a secret? "
How about keeping that information away from identity thieves?
Let's see this group of asshole tax returns
Hmm. I see only one asshole here. Don't forget to wipe when you pull your head out , Den
Wait until they find out that Donald Trump pays more taxes than most Democrats do. Barack Obama was taxed at a 18% rate Donald Trump over 54%. Should tell you something about those lying Democrats
+chief slap a hoe and where did you get that information from? Something you made up or some lie from FOX………
Wow Dave, not the responses you’d thought you get? Do you really think that someone that’s been out in the business world as long as he has, wouldn’t have attracted attention from the IRS? Let it go, he’s the President.
Maybe when Obama releases his college transcripts and the Clinton’s reveal all donors to the Clinton Foundation, maybe Trump will release his returns.
You make a big assumption think only Trump is the only corrupt person/politician. I hope you are not that naive.
@Michael
1. I’m not concerned about the attention he’s gotten from the IRS. The question is transparency about everything from his claims about fabulous wealth to where that wealth comes from.
2. There’s nothing approaching a tradition about releasing transcripts or donors to non-profit organizations that there has been about US presidential candidates being transparent about their wealth. Trump’s refusal to do so in the face of that transition simply makes him look all the more like he has something to hide. There’s also the question of the present value to the American public of knowing the truth about Trump’s sources of income and overall wealth, vs. what grades Obama got at Columbia.
3. I don’t think Trump is the only corrupt person or politician; indeed, the very point of the post is that transparency for more than just Trump would not be a bad thing. I’m not sure where you get that from anything I write. On the other hand, he’s President of the United States, which means his actions are properly placed presently under a serious microscope.
+jeff belli slack Sorry, the "chief"'s profile made having him an undesirable commenter.
The tax returns we've seen from Trump (i.e., were leaked) showed an effective tax rate of about 25% in 2005. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-15/trump-paid-38-million-tax-on-150-million-income-white-house].
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-15/trump-paid-38-million-tax-on-150-million-income-white-house
+Donaldson whitee get your vision checked, holmes
+Donaldson whitee Might want to visit your optometrist. I'm a "beautiful woman" only if you like women that look like Gandalf
+Dexter Michaels thank you, I could not think of an appropriate reply……
Well, that’s sad, seems to be your M.O. just like when you dropped me from your Facebook account. Oh well, parting is such sweet sorrow a wiser man than me once wrote. But, I still love ya, were blood and I’m sure that gets your blood boiling. LOL Peace
@Michael – Well, when you shotgun a bunch of Fox News headlines, I respond to them, and you just pivot to my dropping you from Facebook (which I honestly don’t recall doing), it’s difficult to see the discussion as productive. Though I’ve given it a longer run than I would with most folk of your convictions, because of that familial tie. Why you think that makes my blood boil, I simply don’t know.
Be well.