Suppose Romney releases the tax returns - which finding would be the worst outcome for him:

[hedgehog]

Of these possible scenarios regarding Romney's taxes; which one would enrage the most people?

3 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Romney cheated on his taxes
	0 (0%)
	Romney used perfectly legal loopholes to pay little or nothing
	3 (100%)
	Other possibility - please describe
	0 (0%)
	Romney used a tax amnesty to avoid being charges with a felony.
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[Scuba]

1. Romney and his ilk will feel the most pain if it becomes clear to the American People....

... that the wealthy have rigged the system. Legally paying zero taxes will hurt Mitt less politically than being caught cheating, but hurt him and others in the wallet when the People wake up and fix the problem.

[MADem]

2. He's dug in deep. The biggest problem for him is that someone else has copies of those returns,

and they just might release them, because he will never willingly release those things.

Such a release would have to be a "Taxy-leaks" effort, as it were. It wouldn't surprise me if something like that--at least in part--has already happened, which accounts for some of the pointed questions rMoney has gotten lately. Reporters can't validate the accuracy of the documents, but they can use them to ask very specific questions about his tax rate, etc.

[Skink]

3. paid the full 39% under Clinton

Played by the rules then helped design Obama care.

[brooklynite]

4. Romney's tax forms CANNOT show that he "cheated"...

...because all they show is what he submitted and claimed, per the forms. The only way to show cheating is to check the source data (income records, bank statements, etc) which are not part of the tax records.

[Wounded Bear]

5. It seems unlikely that he actually "cheated".....

after all, they are official documents and he has a legal staff to file them for him. I find it doubtful that anything illegal is in there.

However, releasing them would showcase how many and what type of loopholes the wealthy in this country take advantage of, including his dressage horse "business." In effect, he is defending his whole class. It's somewhat like when an athlete holds out for a few extra million bucks on his contract. He's trying to raise the bar for his peers as well as pad his own purse.

There is the whole "I wasn't working for Bain" angle, too. His tax returns likely show income from Bain, and more than just "hands off" dividends of a disassociated investor type.

I doubt there are any illegalities in there, but there are probably (almost certainly?) a LOT of embarrassing facts he doesn't want exposed.

Having said all that, I guess there might be one legal problem in them, relating to his residency requirement to be governor of Massachusetts. It would be delicious irony to prove he was illegally elected.

[rocktivity]

6. Number two

because (as Harry Reid has insinuated) if he paid "little or nothing" in income taxes, he paid only ten per cent of that to their Mormon church.


rocktivity

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. Wrote off Hookers as an entertainment expense (nt)

[Evergreen Emerald]

8. The tax returns may show that he was less than truthful about ..

1. His net worth
2. The amount he paid in taxes
3. many many tax havens
4. And most importantly, his residency during his prior runs for state office.