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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis Trump real estate deal looks awfully like criminal tax fraud
Source: Washington Post
Two tax lawyers break down the presidents sale of two condos to his son.
By David Herzig and Bridget Crawford August 4 at 6:00 AM
President Trump clearly doesnt want to release his income tax returns to the public. Members of the public and commentators have progressed through stages of outrage, speculation and acceptance that theyll never see the goods, while others have made attempts to pry the documents free (such as proposed legislation in New York and other states that would require presidential candidates to release their returns). But Trumps most pressing tax problem may come from somewhere else entirely: a pre-election transfer of property to a company controlled by his son that could run afoul of the IRS.
According to a recent story by ProPublica and the Real Deal, in April 2016, a limited liability company managed by Trump sold two condominium apartments to a limited liability company managed by Eric Trump. They were on the 13th and 14th floors of a 14-story, full-service, doorman building at 100 Central Park South in Manhattan. This is a prime Midtown neighborhood, yet the sale price for each condo was just $350,000. Although the condition and square footage of apartments 13G and 14G are not readily known, a popular real estate website shows that G-line apartments on both the fifth and eighth floors are one-bedroom, one-bath units of just over 500 square feet. Two years before the Trump transaction, apartment 5G sold for $690,000. Maybe the two units in question were in terrible shape, but two months before the sale to Eric Trumps LLC, they were advertised for $790,000 (on the 13th floor) and $800,000 (on the 14th floor), according to ProPublica.
If a sale between a parent and child is for fair market value, it does not trigger a gift tax. But if a parent sells two expensive condominiums to his son at a highly discounted price, for example, then the parent makes a taxable gift in part. In that case, the seller must pay a gift tax of up to 40 percent. (In this case, that might have run the president somewhere in the neighborhood of $350,000.)
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/this-trump-real-estate-deal-looks-awfully-like-criminal-tax-fraud/2017/08/03/653055fe-786e-11e7-8839-ec48ec4cae25_story.html
tonyt53
(5,737 posts)Lots of high profile people have been taken down over tax fraud. As one worthless bitch said "only little people pay taxes".
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)When the IRS is starved of resources, rich people's fraud goes uninvestigated, while middle class people still pay en masse on their 1040EZs.
brush
(53,801 posts)to a Russian oligarch for way more than it was worth. He netted a 50m profit.
That's got to be tax fraud somehow, as well as the obvious money laundering aspect of it.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)divided the lots, sold at least one for a LOT of money.
Interestingly, Trump now is putting one of his is island houses up for a way below market sale price.
Forget which Island chain that is, not Hawaii tho.
brush
(53,801 posts)off of some of the hotels that license it even.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Slowly
with pleasure
savoring it.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Sales offer the opportunity for abuse or down right breaking of Tax Laws. Appreciation and Depreciation rules are open to what ever interpretation. As our Accountant used to say,there are guide lines but the chances of being challenged is only when you do something that jumps off the page.
With the GOP defunding the IRS,your chances of a Audit has diminished significantly . Again,claim something stupid and your will get your letter in the mail.
bucolic_frolic
(43,235 posts)it will catch up with them at some point
pansypoo53219
(20,983 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,020 posts)This particular deal probably has no collusion aspect, but if it triggers the spidey-senses of Mueller' bloodhounds, then it could be another problem for tRump.