Key House Democrat requests Trump’s tax returns from IRS

UncleScoopy

“House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal has formally requested President Donald Trump’s tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service, likely launching a battle with the administration that could stretch months or even years in the courts.”

2 thoughts on “Key House Democrat requests Trump’s tax returns from IRS”

  1. You’re confusing two things: (1) releasing the tax returns to the public; (2) turning them over to the Congress in the course of an investigation.

    Not only is there no law allowing the former, but to release them would probably be illegal. (Congress might pass such a law, but the Supremes would take a hard look at it.)

    The latter law, however, already exists. We in the general public do not have the legally-established right to see a President’s tax returns, but certain Congressional committees do in certain circumstances.

    Non-tax committees must be “specially authorized” to inspect the returns or return information by a House- or Senate-approved resolution. That resolution must “specify the purpose for which the return or return information is to be furnished and that such information cannot reasonably be obtained from any other source.”

    These restrictions do not apply to requests by the tax committees. The only limitation that the statute places on the tax committees’ ability to obtain tax returns is that, absent taxpayer consent, they must be in closed session when receiving the material—that is, the tax committees cannot receive tax returns from the IRS in a setting open to the public. The law further empowers each of the tax committees to inspect the returns and return information “at such time and in such manner” as its chairman determines, including by delegating the task to “such examiners or agents as the chairman … may designate or appoint.”

  2. If the Congress wants to make it a requirement that the President release his tax returns, then they need to pass a law that says that. Forget about this bully-pulpit demand to get his tax returns for however many years. He has been President for just over two years and they want 6 years of returns. That is unreasonable to want the tax returns of a private citizen and it sets a very dangerous precedent.

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