Why Hasn’t Bernie Sanders Released His Tax Returns? (Or Cruz Or Kasich, Either…)

[swag]

http://www.nationalmemo.com/why-hasnt-bernie-sanders-released-his-tax-returns/

David Cay Johnston

excerpt:

On disclosing tax returns Trump scores better than Sanders, because while Trump will not release his returns, citing a bogus excuse, he has not tried to pretend that he did disclose. But that is exactly what Sanders, Cruz and Kasich did. (Trump says he can’t disclose because he is under IRS audit, even though revealing his returns would have no impact on the audit of a tax return, which is signed under penalty of perjury.)

Contrast their conduct with Hillary Clinton, whose every tax return signed by her and husband Bill has been disclosed since at least 1992. That’s how we know they are far more charitable than the self-described “ardent philanthropist” Donald Trump or any other of the various presidents back to FDR (and some presidential wannabes like Newt Gingrich) who have made public their tax returns. Those returns, and in some cases only Form 1040s, are posted at taxhistory.org, a website maintained by the nonprofit Tax Analysts, for which I write critiques of tax policy.

As for Sanders, the single Form 1040 he released raises more questions than it answers, especially since the junior senator from Vermont has a history of making incomplete and misleading financial disclosures.

In 2014, he reported an adjusted gross income of $205,271, most of it from his Senate salary.

What appears unusual are his itemized deductions, totaling $56,377, a whopping 27.4 percent of his income. People in his income class of $200,000 to $500,000 on average take 15.6 percent of their income as deductions, while those in the $100,000 to $200,000 range averaged 18.8 percent. Both averages are far below the Sanders itemization rate

[Jackie Wilson Said]

1. Did he or did he not disclose returns...AND that a Senator has more deductions than

a carpenter or doctor, makes perfect sense given he lives in two places.

[swag]

2. He has not disclosed a single complete tax return

[riversedge]

57. Its a long article but says he has done so.

[swag]

66. Hi! It's not a very long article. Where does it say he has done so. Thanks!

[questionseverything]

98. long as he didn't donate it to himself like the clintons do

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511626213

Among the nuggets in the Clintons' tax forms: The couple has his-and-her LLCs, a corporate entity made by independent earners for tax advantages. Hillary Clinton's post-State Department income from speeches and her book, “Hard Choices,” was paid to ZFS Holdings LLC, established in Delaware a week after she left the job. Her husband uses a similar entity, WJC LLC, to take in speech and consulting income. The Clintons listed WJC but not ZFS in financial disclosures released earlier this year, and the Clinton campaign did not respond to questions about why the candidate's LLC was not disclosed.
The Clintons disclosed $3,022,700 in charitable contributions last year, including $3 million to the Clinton Family Foundation and $200 to Hot Springs High School's class of 1964, for which the former president attended his 50th reunion last fall. In all, the Clintons gave $14,959,450 in charitable contributions between 2007 and 2014, though nearly all-$14,769,000-went to the Clinton Family Foundation, which disburses donations to other charities, including the Clinton Foundation.
The Clintons utilize a tax strategy that I have advocated over the years. Their smart tax adviser has set up a tax savings strategy utilizing their own charity. It is real nice to contribute to your own charity, take the tax deduction and then get some of the money back as administrative fees.

[Blue State Bandit]

3. When you don't indulge in corporate largess... a senator's travel...

expenses would account for the higher than normal deductions, even flying coach.

I like how the op implies he declined to provide last year's returns (17 days before tax day), but has his itemized deduction totals from 2014 , the last he's currently obliged to file under disclosure norms.

[swag]

4. Perhaps we shall see.

[swag]

5. Nothing full disclosure couldn't explain, I'm sure.

[Blue State Bandit]

6. I agree, so where are the transcripts?

[swag]

7. Off topic, but please to enjoy yourself.

[Politicalboi]

53. LOL!

Only Bernie has to expose his taxes and speeches. Hillary the Queen does not. She's to be trusted some say.

[beam me up scottie]

63. DING DING DING!

That's what this is all about, as well as her donations from lobbyists and dark money, they're trying to imply Bernie is hiding something to take the heat off their candidate

[treestar]

95. Not that clever, since we are discussing tax returns

[Blue State Bandit]

104. I thought we were talking about transparency?

Bernie not personally releasing his returns from 2014 does not matter since they are already public record.

http://money.cnn.com/infographic/pf/taxes/the-candidates-tax-returns-what-they-made-what-they-paid/

*Note: Income reflects adjusted gross income. Taxes paid include federal income taxes, but exclude payroll taxes, household employment taxes and Medicare surtaxes. Effective tax rates measured as federal income taxes paid divided by AGI.

**Note: Sen. Sanders has not publicly released his tax returns. Data pulled from a copy of his 2014 return posted on Tax Analysts.

Transcripts please.

[dsc]

29. The govt pays his travel cost

http://library.clerk.house.gov/reference-files/114_20150106_Salary.pdf

and some of his expenses in washington. So those aren't likely to be the deductions he took.

[Gwhittey]

75. That is because the OP bought into the spin from the link

It was saying 1040 form was not a tax form..and that Sanders only released that. I went and looked at Obama's past returns and they where all 1040 that where released, so if it was good enough for Obama it...

[beam me up scottie]

76. Well how about that? Well done!

[FlatBaroque]

8. The Clinton's are the essence of transparency

[swag]

9. Animated emoji is the essence of rational discourse

[FlatBaroque]

15. Rational discourse with a Clinton supporter is very productive and thought provoking /

[swag]

17. I'm not a Clinton supporter. This article asks some questions and states some facts.

Sorry about that.

[beam me up scottie]

68. I just read some of your posts and the facts don't support that claim.

Unless your candidate is ABB.

[scscholar]

59. Release nearly 25 years worth of tax returns isn't transparent?

Talk about moving the goal posts.

[Vinca]

10. It must be the family investment in blood diamonds or the secret shares in the Nevada brothel

that are keeping it under wraps. Maybe he's secretly getting checks from the Castro brothers to promote socialism.

[swag]

12. All good possibilities. I guess we'll see, if St. Bernie ever discloses.

I'm sure there's nothing to hide.

[riversedge]

78. What is Sanders Hiding?

[Vinca]

84. I'm betting he takes a medical deduction for a daily fix of "Ben & Jerry's."

He's a suspicious character, after all.

[LisaM]

11. K&R

Interesting piece.

[swag]

14. Hi, Lisa! Come down south and have another beer with me some day!

Bring Molly, too!

[LisaM]

22. I would love to!

I haven't been to Portland in a while.....

[leveymg]

13. Bernie has to be the poorest, and most honest, US Senator. Perhaps, the only non-millionaire

And this post is supposed to prove that he isn't? Sorry. Try again.

[swag]

16. This post asks some questions, and states some facts.

Sorry about that.

[Maedhros]

19. You're pretty damned smug and disingenuous.

/ignore list.

[FlatBaroque]

20. Yup. Same here. Number 334.

[swag]

38. Appropriate to be ignored by the wilfully ignorant.

[Mbrow]

47. for your viewing pleasure,

On Fri Apr 1, 2016, 06:07 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

You're pretty damned smug and disingenuous.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1626421

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Is it still a felony to tell someone you're putting them on ignore? Sorry, I have forgotten.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Fri Apr 1, 2016, 06:12 PM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Children, please!
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Another silly alert. Seems to happen daily around here lately.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: to bad, but it's not alertable.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Well, telling them you are putting them on ignore isn't the problem, it's the name-calling, in this instance. Hide.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Personal insults should be avoided

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[Maedhros]

58. I sorta' don't care anymore if a post of mine gets hidden.

At some point, gotta' call bullshit for what it is...

[Mbrow]

61. I hear you, this is my third jury in one 24 hour period. (so far)

Seems to be lots of assholes floating about.

[swag]

67. I'm sure it would be greatly amusing to hear what you consider to be "bullshit"

[leveymg]

32. It's one of those "why do the poor of Calcutta spend so much of their incomes on food" questions.

Even if he does have a high percentage of itemized expenses relative to his income (I would imagine that national political figures do have a lot of expenses), and releases summary tax returns to the FEC (law doesn't require his entire return, so he's indeed compliant), what is the significance of that when his income is so relatively tiny?

[swag]

40. The author of the article asks some valid questions.

Even if you don't care to have answers, I do. I haven't voted in my primary yet.

[leveymg]

44. Perhaps, but is this really a significant question?

Unless you think that Madoff's missing billions went to buy Sanders his swanky suits and lavish lifestyle, I don't really see the point of this other than to attack Hillary's opponents and praise her.

[swag]

45. I guess we'll find out, if he ever releases his tax returns.

[leftcoastmountains]

18. Is this an April Fool's Joke???

[swag]

25. Ask Bernie, I guess.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

21. look at Joe Conason's twitter feed. he owns The National Memo.

And then make up your own mind

https://twitter.com/JoeConason

[LisaM]

23. The writer won a Pulitzer for tax reporting

are you disputing the facts he puts forth?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

31. He's done a lot of great reporting. that is not the issue.

The issue is that his tweets seem to show a bias for one of the candidates right now.

[LisaM]

36. Umm, the issue is Bernie Sanders' taxes.

Many of the sources linked to here are from sites that lean towards one candidate over another. I've actually seen people linking to Judicial Watch. And a ton of stuff from US Uncut.

If the piece is fair and worth reading, then so be it.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

41. if it's fair

Precisely my point

[LisaM]

43. So what about this piece is unfair?

I read it and it's pointing out something about Bernie Sanders not releasing tax returns. Is that somehow "unfair"?

[riversedge]

60. "All presidential candidates should release full tax returns - more than one year."

Joe Conason ?@JoeConason 16m16 minutes ago

Joe Conason Retweeted Nulla dies sine line

No sin, just a single standard. All presidential candidates should release full tax returns - more than one year.

[beam me up scottie]

65. Should or are required to?

[bettyellen]

69. Required to - like paid speeches? Oh wait.

[beam me up scottie]

70. Has Bernie been paid millions from industries he promised to regulate? I must have missed that.

[bettyellen]

71. I don't think it would have been legal for him, unlike her speeches.

[beam me up scottie]

73. What does that have to do with it? She was paid millions and promises to protect us from them.

I'm not one of the people demanding the transcripts but I certainly would like to know just what advice she gave them because it would tell me if I can take her at her word. At this point I don't believe her.

[bettyellen]

107. You're not in a position to demand, so that is wise.

I'm laughing at all the innuendo.

Must be strange to be cheering on her undoing along side RW mouth breathers. What an interesting pastime!

[oldandhappy]

24. I thought that happened in the GE

[swag]

26. Well, then. I guess Clinton is way ahead of the game.

[beam me up scottie]

27. Here's a link to every one of his FULL financial disclosure forms from 1990 to present:

https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?cid=N00000528

Have at it, let me know if you find anything that Brock missed.

You're welcome.

[swag]

33. Since when are financial disclosures tax returns?

[beam me up scottie]

37. You wanted to know about his finances, right? You can't get much more detailed than those forms.

What would be on his tax forms that's not in the financial disclosures?

So I did you a favour, get to it! Start digging!

[riversedge]

62. Try to stay on topic of the OP--which is tax returns. Not financial disclosures

[beam me up scottie]

64. The topic is Bernie's finances, try to keep up. What's on tax forms that isn't on those disclosures?

[LisaM]

39. Those aren't tax returns.

I think the article was discussing tax returns.

[beam me up scottie]

42. What's missing from those forms that would be on his tax returns?

Hillary supporters keep saying he's hiding something, y'all should be thrilled to have such a great resource.

Unless this is just another diversion of course.

[LisaM]

46. You tell me!

Until we have them, we can't really know, can we?

[beam me up scottie]

51. I'm not the one suggesting Bernie is corrupt. Now you guys will have proof that he's dirty!

There's a lot of info to get through, it's possible all of his opponents over the years missed SOMETHING to smear him with.

Brock alone probably spent hundreds of thousands of dollars looking for dirt.

Lots of info there, better get crackin!

[LisaM]

55. Actually the article (which I don't think you read) suggested that he probably doesn't

have anything to hide, which is why it's a bit more of a mystery that he hasn't released the returns.

So, credentialed writer, possibly a slanted source (I don't actually know the source, I looked up the writer separately), fair article, doesn't say anything bad about Bernie Sanders, suggests he likely has nothing to hide, just wants him to release the same tax returns presidential candidates have been, and you take this to mean that someone is smearing dirt.

No candidate is perfect. No. Candidate. Is. Perfect.

[beam me up scottie]

56. I did read it and you're right, the author isn't the one trying to smear Bernie.

That would be HCS who've been claiming Bernie is dirty for months.

I'm just helping out by providing more information.

[Shrike47]

28. I don't buy the claim that he hasn't disclosed his tax return when he has disclosed his 1040.

Somebody wants knitpick the $56,000 in deductions because the average filer in his income category take only $36,000 or so? Really, that $20,000 in deductions (much less than that in actual tax reduction) chaps that much?

I'm interested in neither his itemized deductions nor the contents Hillary's speeches to various Wall Street firms. Let's stick to real concerns, please.

[swag]

35. You have your "real concerns", I have mine.

[TheDormouse]

30. I totally trust David Cay Johnston

I hope Bernie will release his full return forthwith.

[swag]

34. Me too.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

48. On tax returns, Sanders and wife report $200,000 in income — detailed article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/06/30/on-tax-returns-sanders-and-wife-report-200000-in-income-mostly-from-his-senate-post/

He released his before anybody else in the campaign

[swag]

50. I guess you didn't read the linked article in the op. Also, Hi Viva!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

54. Hi hun!

Just a little spirited debate, ya?

[karynnj]

49. Think of all the things that itemized deductions include:

As a Senator, he may maintain two homes, a house in Burlington and a condo in DC that he and Jane bought in 2000 -- with two mortgages and two property tax bills. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/bernie-sanders-wife-accounts-for-reported-assets-120261 Both Vermont and DC have relatively high property taxes compared to the average. ( http://taxfoundation.org/blog/how-high-are-property-taxes-your-state )

Not to mention, he might possibly be very generous. Not to mention, when speaking fees were the issue - the speeches that Bernie gave that had honorariums which he said he donated to charity.

Those two things alone would explain why he has higher deductions than average.

[swag]

52. I guess there's an easy way for everyone to know for sure.

Last edited Fri Apr 1, 2016, 06:58 PM - Edit history (1)

[geek tragedy]

97. if he has nothing to hide . . . nt

[mak3cats]

72. Trash thread...

[swag]

74. Right. Why should anyone know about a presidential candidate's finances?

Point well taken, M. Chairman.

[beam me up scottie]

77. I posted a link to all of his financial disclosures, have you gone through them yet?

You seem so "concerned", I thought you wanted information on his finances?

[riversedge]

79. Financial returns are not tax returns. What is Sanders hiding?

[beam me up scottie]

80. You tell me, what was missing from those disclosures? You must be a speed reader!

[swag]

81. Schedule of deductions for one thing.

Let's see the tax returns.

[beam me up scottie]

85. Aren't his deductions listed on those forms? Which ones do you find questionable?

[swag]

86. I guess you didn't look at them, huh?

[beam me up scottie]

87. I'm not the one claiming he's hiding something and feigning concern. Now what did you find?

[swag]

91. Deductions are not listed on financial disclosures.

Financial disclosures are not tax forms.

I'm sure this still will not sink in.

Cheerio!

[beam me up scottie]

100. What's not sinking in is that your Rovian tactics have failed miserably.

You are claiming that one of the least wealthiest and most incorruptible member of the Senate is hiding something to deflect from your own candidate's record of taking money from special interests and the fact that she spent the last few years taking millions from an industry she claims she wants to regulate.

It's a fail and the only person who doesn't seem to realize that is you.

[riversedge]

82. They are not tax returns. Simple as that.

[beam me up scottie]

83. So you don't know if we would learn more from his returns and yet you say he's hiding something.

Obvious poster is obvious.

[riversedge]

88. His Tax returns will tell the whole story and you know it. Wonder what he is

hiding.

[beam me up scottie]

89. Is that arrow pointing to the millions she received from Wall Street and lobbyists?

Or to the direction she'll take us if elected?

[Hiraeth]

113. they might but, they would find them in another thread. This one has run its course

would you not agree

[swag]

114. Who would disagree with a self-appointed Thread Cop?

[Hiraeth]

115. who would answer a question with a question? never mind rhetorical. welcome to ignore.

[swag]

116. Happy to have finally arrived!

[Gwhittey]

90. This post is a April Fools joke

From the link "What they made public instead was merely a summary known as IRS Form 1040. That form is no more a tax return than the Preamble is the Constitution."

Gee that is all Clinton has released. And I don't know about the OP but my tax forms are all 1040 too, Just Like Clinton.

[swag]

92. What you say is manifestly untrue.

https://www.irs.gov/uac/List-of-Available-Free-File-Fillable-Forms

[Gwhittey]

94. Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

HaHa you can't April Fools me.

[Gwhittey]

96. Check the pdfs

http://www.taxhistory.org/thp/presreturns.nsf/Returns/07E13291870D475885257E93007B1015/$file/HR_Clinton_2014.pdf

http://www.taxhistory.org/thp/presreturns.nsf/Returns/9900B87E8AE6AF0C85257EB4004E9F66/$file/B_Sanders_2014.pdf

Both are form 1040..I not seeing the issue.

[beam me up scottie]

101. So where are Hillary's complete forms? I'm sure the op will DEMAND to know what she's hiding.

[Gwhittey]

102. I think I have to go get the lady across the street to help

Explain it to the OP. She has 3 kids so maybe she can help with trying to explain 1040 = 1040.

[beam me up scottie]

103. Capital idea! I don't have kids either so I won't even try.

[beam me up scottie]

99. OOPSIE!

[geek tragedy]

93. those must be some outstanding, amazing tax returns. why should he keep them secret?

I bet all kinds of fascinating items are in there.

[PeaceNikki]

105. It's a valid question. Thanks for the article,

Karl Rove.



Dear jury: that was a joke referencing the reply up thread accusing him of "Rovian tactics". I assure you that the OP knows this as well.

[swag]

106. Ha! *snort*

[joeybee12]

108. You're in trouble...facts!

The echo chamber doesn't approve!

[DesertRat]

109. The link has been updated

UPDATE by David Cay Johnston:
Two days after the column below went up — provoking extensive commentary on Twitter and Facebook as well as here and on other websites — CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Senator Bernie Sanders whether he would match Hillary Clinton, who has posted eight years of complete tax returns on her campaign website (and full returns back to1992 at taxhistory.org). The full interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” program can be found here — Tapper asks the tax question at around 5:20.

Tapper said he is “kind of surprised you haven’t gone further in transparency” and asked “will you match her?” by disclosing returns before the April 19 New York primary.

Sanders replied that there was nothing interesting in his tax returns, which his wife prepares, and then said, “We will get out as much information as we can…we will get it out as soon as we can.” That dodges the issue that all candidates should release full returns and doesn’t explain why he has failed to post any full returns, which he said are in the possession of his wife Jane.

Tapper then gently challenged Sanders on issuing only Form 1040, a summary, but not his full tax returns. Sanders said, “No that’s not true. That is not true, we have released them in the past.”

But the Sanders campaign has not provided me with any returns after I repeatedly requested them. My web searches have not turned up any Sanders tax returns, save the 2014 Form 1040. But if someone has located complete Sanders tax returns, please email me via [e-mail].

If there are no full returns available, then the Senator has offered a deceptive response. If his campaign clarifies his remarks (or releases his tax returns back to 2007, when he became a senator), I’ll update again.

http://www.nationalmemo.com/why-hasnt-bernie-sanders-released-his-tax-returns/

[bettyellen]

110. You are killing me, Swag.

[swag]

111. Yay!

[bettyellen]

112. Yay! You are up early!