NYT acquires 1995 Trump tax return; he deducted $916 million in business losses

[rafta_rafta]

Guiliani basically admitted he doesn't pay taxes

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/782572616276140032

[Panda Express]

Maybe the Trump campaign really did leak this

1. It gives him a reason for not paying taxes
2. It makes him look sympathetic ("It was leaked without my permission!")
3. His supporters don't care because they're terrible people

[mark_twain]

Time for him to drop out.

Drop out for legally using the tax code and carrying over operating losses as he is allowed to? Give me a break. The amount of financial illiteracy on this board is astounding.

Further, the Times broke the law by publishing these documents. They should be ashamed of themselves.

And it's all in your head...

Try telling your arguments to the millions of middle-class workers in OH and PA, whom Trump is desperately counting on for votes, who pay every penny of taxes to the government for their hard-earned dollars.

And, yes, it might be legal, but that is beside the point. The point is that the Clinton campaign has every right to use this story to damage Trump so that he does not get elected...

[mark_twain]

Maybe the Trump campaign really did leak this

1. It gives him a reason for not paying taxes
2. It makes him look sympathetic ("It was leaked without my permission!")
3. His supporters don't care because they're terrible people

I doubt it.

Trump really needs to sway the undecided voters, and this will turn off a high percentage of them in one shot.

[Torie]

Is the 1995 return still under audit? If not, why was it not released by Trump?

You can release tax returns even if they are under audit.

Yeah, I know, but it is Trump's excuse (a totally lame one, I might add - I don't see why releasing a return under audit would compromise the taxpayer's position myself). Anyway, that excuse presumably does not obtain for this old return.

[politicallefty]

The fact that lib Republicans like GWB, McCain and Romney were perfectly acceptable to people like your lefty mother says it all really.

I didn't say she supported any of them. I said she has friends that have supported them. I happen to believe the same. Supporting Trump, though, is the kind of revelation that could end a friendship. As for the reasoning, I honestly don't know where to start. Is it his disrespect of women? Is it is his disrespect of the disabled, or Mexicans, or Muslims, or what? Is it his failure to pay federal income taxes for almost or at least two decades while tens of millions of hard-working Americans do?

Donald Trump is the embodiment of that which his supporters so utterly despise. He is the boss that will deny you a raise. He is the boss that will deny you time off when you're sick. He is the boss that will deny you a vacation with your family. Almost everyone that has had to work at least a low-paying job understands that kind of boss. I don't understand this. What do you people see in him? He literally does and takes advantage of everything you apparently despise. He is a fraud that would screw you over so fast it would make your head spin. I don't say that as a political junkie. I say that as one human being to those that will listen. If you want the Supreme Court, fine. That's one thing, but that's a small minority of Trump supporters. I'm honestly asking as one human being, one American to another, please rethink your support for this man. I don't expect the pleas of one random person behind a keyboard to register, but I think it's worth a shot.

[rafta_rafta]

Maybe the Trump campaign really did leak this

1. It gives him a reason for not paying taxes
2. It makes him look sympathetic ("It was leaked without my permission!")
3. His supporters don't care because they're terrible people

I don't think he did. The only reason to leak the taxes himself was if they were fake and Trump wants to pull a fast one on NYT. I doubt they'd have run the story without verifying the document though.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Maybe the Trump campaign really did leak this

1. It gives him a reason for not paying taxes
2. It makes him look sympathetic ("It was leaked without my permission!")
3. His supporters don't care because they're terrible people

I don't think he did. The only reason to leak the taxes himself was if they were fake and Trump wants to pull a fast one on NYT. I doubt they'd have run the story without verifying the document though.

Read the story.  Jack Mitnick, the accountant who prepared the return, confirmed to the Times that it's authentic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html

[Badger]

Donald Trump, 2015. First sentence of the 2nd paragraph is interesting.

THE big lesson that shoould be taken from this is Mr. "Populist friend of the working man screwed over by the system" doesn't believe this statement one iota. Quite the opposite actually.

Second is he's actually a crappy businessman.

[Seriously?]

I see Seriously got his talking points from Trump Tower and immediately got into work.

Sorry, I don't need talking points to discuss common sense.

Any single taxpayer that has ever used H&R Block to find as many deductions as possible is just as "guilty" as Trump is here. I can never, ever, ever malign someone for legally using the tax code to pay as little as posisble to the government.

Maybe you liberals want to pay as much tax as possible, but I for one do not. If you do, you are more than welcome to voluntarily write a check to the IRS.

But don't you understand? The people who man the government bureaucracy are the greatest people on earth. State corporatism is the way to go. These people are working for the greater good of humanity.

Individual self employed capitalists like Trump are an affront to this, saying and doing what they like. They should shovel as much of their money into the bureaucratic bohemoth as they possibly can. That way they can be reduced to their proper role of serfdom to the bureaucracy as soon as possible, just like everyone else.

Of course they are. It takes a village to raise a child and all, certainly not parents. Collectivism, yay!

[Seriously?]

THE big lesson that shoould be taken from this is Mr. "Populist friend of the working man screwed over by the system" doesn't believe this statement one iota. Quite the opposite actually.

Second is he's actually a crappy businessman.

1) I guess you've never heard of the book "The Art of the Comeback." Trump is neither the first nor the last developer to run into issues during an economic downturn.

2) Is Warren Buffett a "crappy businessman?" He lost $2 billion on Wells Fargo last week.

3) Anyone on here want to take a guess who signed the loophole Trump allegedly took advantage of into law?

[Lief 🗽]

Weird that, with all of their money problems, the Trump campaigning is employing people like Seriously? to regurgitate inane Trump campaign talking points on internet forums like this one.

[Lyin' Steve]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

She didn't tweet this but she should've.  I feel like "pathetic businessman loses a billion dollars in just one year" is a better angle than "he didn't pay taxes!"

[skoods]

THE big lesson that shoould be taken from this is Mr. "Populist friend of the working man screwed over by the system" doesn't believe this statement one iota. Quite the opposite actually.

Second is he's actually a crappy businessman.

3) Anyone on here want to take a guess who signed the loophole Drumpf allegedly took advantage of into law?

It sure as hell wasn't Hillary, and she's the one running for President.

[RogueBeaver]

Susanne Craig, the story's lead reporter, implied there are more docs & stories to come.

[Dr. Arch]

Susanne Craig, the story's lead reporter, implied there are more docs & stories to come.

Whoo boy.

[Seriously?]

Weird that, with all of their money problems, the Trump campaigning is employing people like Seriously? to regurgitate inane Trump campaign talking points on internet forums like this one.

Funny. I am still looking for that paycheck from the Trump organization.

But don't let facts get in the way of your fantasyland narrative there, Lief.

[afleitch]

Weird that, with all of their money problems, the Trump campaigning is employing people like Seriously? to regurgitate inane Trump campaign talking points on internet forums like this one.

Funny. I am still looking for that paycheck from the Trump organization.

But don't let facts get in the way of your fantasyland narrative there, Lief.

So is everyone else he has stiffed.

[psychprofessor]

if these tax returns show what a "genius" trump really is, then, well, release all of them. i want to see just how smart trump is.

[Badger]

THE big lesson that shoould be taken from this is Mr. "Populist friend of the working man screwed over by the system" doesn't believe this statement one iota. Quite the opposite actually.

Second is he's actually a crappy businessman.

1) I guess you've never heard of the book "The Art of the Comeback." Trump is neither the first nor the last developer to run into issues during an economic downturn.

2) Is Warren Buffett a "crappy businessman?" He lost $2 billion on Wells Fargo last week.

3) Anyone on here want to take a guess who signed the loophole Trump allegedly took advantage of into law?

1) 1995 being "the downturn"?!? Are you lying, high, or stupid? There is no option D

2) How much do you think he'll "lose" this year? Hint: he's actually competent and truly believes the tax structure is screwing secretaries while serving their bosses.

3) Hor$e$hit. Remember that upper income, budget balancing tax icreases is why right wing jhihadists like you loathe the Clintons?

[Seriously?]

Weird that, with all of their money problems, the Trump campaigning is employing people like Seriously? to regurgitate inane Trump campaign talking points on internet forums like this one.

Funny. I am still looking for that paycheck from the Trump organization.

But don't let facts get in the way of your fantasyland narrative there, Lief.

So is everyone else he has stiffed.

Funny. Because Trump would pay me to post polls -- both positive and negative -- about his campaign, right? If I were on the payroll, I'd only be posting the ones with Trump up, not every day of a tracking poll no matter where it lies.

[Torie]

Weird that, with all of their money problems, the Trump campaigning is employing people like Seriously? to regurgitate inane Trump campaign talking points on internet forums like this one.

Funny. I am still looking for that paycheck from the Trump organization.

But don't let facts get in the way of your fantasyland narrative there, Lief.

You consume whatever bait is put before you, hook, line and sinker,  just about as ravenously as Trump does.

[EnglishPete]

Funny. Because Trump would pay me to post polls -- both positive and negative -- about his campaign, right? If I were on the payroll, I'd only be posting the ones with Trump up, not every day of a tracking poll no matter where it lies.

Of course its actually the Clinton campaign who is hiring paid trolls.  We had the same thing in the UK, people posting pro Brexit or UKIP comments on social media or news media below the line comments sections would be accused of being paid UKIP trolls (as if UKIP had the money to spend on paid trolls) whereas it was actually the EU that was hiring plenty of paid trolls.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I see Seriously got his talking points from Trump Tower and immediately got into work.

Sorry, I don't need talking points to discuss common sense.

Any single taxpayer that has ever used H&R Block to find as many deductions as possible is just as "guilty" as Trump is here. I can never, ever, ever malign someone for legally using the tax code to pay as little as posisble to the government.

Maybe you liberals want to pay as much tax as possible, but I for one do not. If you do, you are more than welcome to voluntarily write a check to the IRS.

This is an interesting case of small reference pools for our friend Seriously. I'm sure in his ideological and socioeconomic circles, it would be seen as a major victory to not pay tax. Indeed, the idea of never having to part with a single cent is an aspirational idea, something to be emulated. Of course, if they stepped out of their safe space, they'd realise that the actual working people of America, rather than desperately wishing they could be as selfish as the Trumps of the world; simply want these elite figures to simply be less misers and pay what is fair so they can raise their children in a more egalitarian society.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Funny. Because Trump would pay me to post polls -- both positive and negative -- about his campaign, right? If I were on the payroll, I'd only be posting the ones with Trump up, not every day of a tracking poll no matter where it lies.

Of course its actually the Clinton campaign who is hiring paid trolls.  We had the same thing in the UK, people posting pro Brexit or UKIP comments on social media or news media below the line comments sections would be accused of being paid UKIP trolls (as if UKIP had the money to spend on paid trolls) whereas it was actually the EU that was hiring plenty of paid trolls.

pro tip: nobody is paying trolls. the sad fact is we all do this for free