Trump leaked his own 1995 tax returns

[Cicada]

The New York Times would not publish returns which might not be correct so some reliable source confirmed their accuracy. Apparently the returns were mailed from Trump Tower. Trump benefits from a "good reason" for not paying tax. Losing a billion dollars from the crash of Atlantic City in the nineties, which generates a 900 million dollar net operating loss carry forward, which can be used as a deduction from future income for 18 years, is a reasonably benign explanation for his failure to pay tax. So I think Trump gave them the returns.

[Demsrule86]

1. It is not benign and is a disaster for Trump...disaster.

But thanks for the post...which kind of supports Trump by calling his failure to pay taxes 'benign'.

[Cicada]

18. Anyone can lose a billion dollars in one year, we can all relate to that

This explanation for paying no income tax is not as bad as any other reason I can think of.

His tax preparer confirmed the accuracy of the returns. He would not do that unless Trump gave him permission. So clearly Trump leaked this information.

[RonniePudding]

21. "Anyone can lose a billion dollars"

What a fucking ludicrous comment. And your assertion that all of trump's tax dodging is no big deal is...interesting.

[Cicada]

30. It is a big deal, a Joe Biden B F D!

I am just saying that the net operating loss is less horrible as an explanation than other possibilities, such as creative flaky financial scams etc

But not paying tax while your net worth rises billions? It's the end of the line for Mr. Trump.

[GoCubsGo]

25. "...we can all relate to that"???

Really? I don't know anyone who can relate to even having a billion dollars, let alone piss it all away within one year.

[mucifer]

26. I think there was a bit of sarcasm to that post.

[Demsrule86]

44. I don't think so...all the taxpayer did is say yes this was his signiture and yes it had a typo...

which indicated that it was the 95 return. Trump would be insane to show what a terrible businessman he really is...never mind taxes.

[Fast Walker 52]

2. I don't think that's the way Trump operates at all

he's not that clever

[Curtland1015]

3. Besides the fact, if that WERE the case, why "leak" them anonymously?

Why not just come out and say, "Hey, here's my returns from 1995 showing why I haven't been paying taxes"?

[oberliner]

8. Because that allows for the argument about the NY Times being against him

By obtaining his tax returns "illegally" as his people are claiming.

He can play the victim.

[Curtland1015]

10. I suppose... still it looks like they were trying to "hide" something they claim isn't a big deal.

IMO, it looks more embarrassing as a leak than if they had just come out and done it themselves.

[oberliner]

11. Agreed

I don't think Trump leaked them, but I wouldn't be completely shocked if he did.

[Cicada]

19. NY Times says tax preparer confirms accuracy. That requires Trump's permission.

[Doctor Jack]

22. Is that an expert legal opinion or internet speculation?

[Cicada]

32. Unauthorized release of tax information 5 years $5000 fine per Internal Revenue Code

That is for the federal law. I don't know the laws of Connecticut, New York City or New Jersey but the odds are high they also punish unauthorised release of tax return information. Jack Mitnick has to know that. So unless he is senile or has a terminal disease he had authorisation from Trump.

See 26 USC section 7213.

[Doctor Jack]

33. Or he could just gladly pay the fine...

...and since he is 80 years old, he probably isn't too concerned about being carted off to jail.

[Cicada]

37. But Trump can sue him for damages and deprive his heirs of funds

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. The man is in his 80s

Trump reqlly can't do anything to him and besides, you can't unring a bell.

[politicaljunkie41910]

29. Perhaps he's proud of what he did. He said during the debate, that makes him smart.

Also, it means that people will probably get off his back about not releasing his current tax returns. BTW, the reporter who broke the story was on one of the talk shows this morning and she pretty much intimated that she knows who sent the tax returns.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

40. It's just a diversion. Look over here, not at my real taxes.

It's just to keep us from losing our foc--SQUIRREL!!!

[BeyondGeography]

4. AC didn't crash until much later

When PA came online, which was ten years ago, not 20. Trump got in too deep with junk debt and a junk project at Taj Mahal, so he was the most vulnerable to the original expansion of gaming which was Indian gaming in CT. There's a reason PA turned him down for a license in 2006; he routinely over-estimated results and stiffed contractors. He's bad news and they knew it.

[oberliner]

9. One could say the early 1990s was actually the last high point for AC

The city was doing quite well at that point.

[radius777]

42. Exactly, Trump drove those casinos into the ground

according the NYT article, then deducted the losses, enabling him to profit from greed and mismanagement. This is the type of predatory business dealings that crashed the economy in 2008 and caused the great recession.

I doubt very much Trump released these returns.

Also the NYT is hinting they have more.

And the idea that the NYT releasing these returns is 'illegal' is crap, since Trump is a public figure running for president, the courts would look at this differently than if he were a private citizen.

[oberliner]

5. Interesting theory

It also distracts from the story about him only hiring attractive women and his ridiculous comments about Machado.

[appleannie1]

6. There is two ways of looking at it.

He would think it was 'smart' of him to avoid paying taxes through the loss and his base would agree. Honest hardworking people would consider it a horrible thing to do and would show he is a failure.

Also, just because it came from the Trump Tower does not mean it was sent by Trump even if he is known for doing stupid things to draw attention to himself.

It is evident that there is something going on under that roof that does not fit the normal "happy" family scrutiny. Since her one and only speech she has been very absent. And when she sits in an audience, like at the debate, she looks like she has a mouthful of bitter aloe. A scorned woman can be a nasty adversary.

[TexasBushwhacker]

24. I'm thinking it might be an employee who's sick of him

or perhaps Marla Maples. She's not getting child support anymore.

[2naSalit]

7. I think there's something to that

he, in his agitated state of mind - currently - may have done so thinking that it would absolve him and end the constant drum beat of demands for his tax disclosure. Much in the style of his medical report, a sham, it fits his demented thought patterns. He can't handle the public making demands of him.

[MADem]

12. I am not sure "benign" is the word you want. There's no upside to this for him, and if he

thinks that there is, he's even stupider than we thought. This isn't "benign" -- it is toxic.

Most Americans pay tax, and they don't give two shits about "net operating loss carry forward" or any other horseshit--and no one most folks know gets to milk that "get out of taxation free" cow for nearly two decades.

If he gave them the returns (and I don't think he did, but you never know), it's because HE WANTS TO LOSE. He wants OUT of this little adventure, he knows he's out of his league, and he's, in essence, punching a hole in his ship and taking to the life raft of defeat, all while having an excuse that his wealthy, Screw The System right wing takers can buy off on.

[Madam45for2923]

13. Yes, and if so he thinks he's being clever! May it backfire!

[dawg]

14. If he did, then he's an even bigger idiot than I thought.

Those returns make him look like a huge failure.

[Avalux]

15. Maybe Melania did it. n/t

[jiminvegas]

16. Maybe trump has had an epiphany

And realizes that he is in over his head and for the good of the country he wants to lose on purpose.

[longship]

17. Uhm! No! Just no. nt

[Doctor Jack]

20. Two Problems With this Hypothesis

1. Just because the return address says "Trump Tower" doesn't mean it actually came from that address. I could send out a letter today and put "Trump Tower" on the return address, and it would get to its destination. The mail could have come from anywhere. I'm guessing the Trump Tower return address was to either catch someone's attention or meant to be cheeky, as the British say.

2. People saying it was sent as a distraction from his poor week this week should be aware that the NYT had these documents for over a month and have spent that time trying to authenticate it. If Trump sent it to distract against his shitty debate performance and all around fuckery from this week then he would have had to anticipate all of this would happen back in late August/early September, when the documents were actually sent.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

27. You think Donald J tRump's zero taxes & billion $ loss wins him votes? He has a Bridge to sell you.

[Cicada]

34. We already had his admission: "that means I'm smart." The leak is an explanation

I had expected he paid no tax because of more disreputable reasons such as phony tax losses from manipulated sales with foreign entities he secretly controlled. The apparent true cause of his negative income still stinks, losses recognised from Atlantic City while billions in appreciation not recognised for tax purposes, a scheme for the rich, not for us, stinks but to a lesser degree. It is "legal" while phony manipulated losses from sales to a foreign entity probably are not legal, even if the IRS can't prove it. So I think Trump had motive to leak. The truth stinks less than what I expected.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

41. You don't know what the truth is. Leak was 1995 only. The rest is speculation.

This leak increases pressure.

It does not take any pressure off Trump.

It is only speculation that the zero tax dodge continued for 18 years.

All the possibilities of phony tax losses, manipulated sales, and more are still on the table. And more likely now.

[C_U_L8R]

28. I have a hunch it's Marla

Her signature is on the tax form.
It's pretty likely she's under NDA from her divorce agreement...
but there you go... oooops. Prove that one, Donald.
It's gotta be making him even more manic.

[Adrahil]

31. According to a story I read....

They confirmed the authenticity of the signature of one of the accountants.

Make no mistake.... this is a BIG FUCKING DEAL.

You can BET this will be raised in the debates, and thin-skinned Donald will not be able to resist making an ass of himself trying to defends it.

[Cicada]

35. The preparer Jack Mitnick confirmed on the record to the NY Times returns were accurate.

Jack Mitnick said tax software back then only handles 8 digit amounts so he had to use his typewriter to enter leading digits. I also had a client in the old days with a loss over 100 million and I had to do the same thing so Jack sounds credible to me.

[Adrahil]

36. Yeah, that's it. Thanks!

[duncang]

38. Too many other people could have access to the tax returns

The person or anyone in his company who prepared the tax returns. Anyone in the trump company who has a axe to grind past or present. So yes there is a chance of dipshit doing it himself. But there are a lot of opportunities for others to send them. One thing about it coming from trump towers. As far as I know the article didn't say it was even postmarked from the area. If it had been it would have probably been noted.

Also the fact it proves he is really a piss poor businessman to have lost money when the economy was on the rise. Even after stiffing contractors their pay he couldn't make money. If he did send it it shows he really is a dumbass.

[MADem]

43. "Some people say" this is Marla's revenge....

After all, that's HER tax return, too--he was "married filing jointly."

[Blue Idaho]

39. If this is Trump's version of four dimensional chess

He had better stick to checkers.