To the Editor:
Re “President’s Taxes Chart Chronic Losses, Audit Battle and Income Tax Avoidance” (front page, Sept. 28):
Kudos to The Times for breaking this story. With Election Day five weeks away, the American people now have the vital information that President Trump has been hiding for years and can judge accordingly as to his fitness for office.
There’s an even larger story here, however. Donald Trump isn’t the only wealthy American who has played our tax system. I hope that this investigation will continue and expand to include a comprehensive review of a tax code that benefits rich people and profitable companies at the expense of ordinary citizens — ordinary citizens who work hard and pay their taxes yet are constantly told that cuts in public programs and services must be made because the federal government “can’t afford them.”
John E. Stafford
Rye, N.Y.
To the Editor:
It’s hard to know which is the most disturbing aspect of these revelations: the ability of the wealthy to exploit the tax code, President Trump’s interest in enriching himself and his family at the expense of others, or the certainty that his congressional supporters will continue to cheer him on regardless of their past declarations of him as a fraud and a cheat.
Although I am heartened by the free and independent news media that has exposed the president’s mendacity and selfishness, we should all remain concerned that the president may be willing to pull any lever to retain the office of the president and hold off continued examination of his finances.
Edwin Andrews
Malden, Mass.
To the Editor:
In the presidential debate on Tuesday night, when Donald Trump refers to the revelations regarding his tax payments as “fake news,” as he inevitably will, Joe Biden’s response should be this:
“You can prove the story wrong right now by releasing your tax returns. There is nothing preventing you from doing so, including your false assertion that the audit needs to be completed. But you won’t release the returns, and now we all know why.
“So while you will be preoccupied over the next four years with figuring out how to repay the hundreds of millions of dollars in loans that you personally guaranteed, let me tell you what I plan to accomplish as president of the United States.”
Wendy Livingston
Mountain Lakes, N.J.
To the Editor:
As a tax accountant, I have been looking forward to seeing Donald Trump’s taxes. In addition to showing that he paid almost no taxes for years, they will also show the partnerships he is involved in, including foreign partnerships, among other things. He should be held accountable.
Mr. Trump’s taxes will further expose what the superrich have been getting away with for years. Perhaps this is one reason he continues to get so much support from them even as he proves just how incompetent and dishonest he is.
Anne K. Johnson
New York
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | The Revelations About Donald Trump’s Taxes
Opinion | The Revelations About Donald Trump’s Taxes
To the Editor:
Re “President’s Taxes Chart Chronic Losses, Audit Battle and Income Tax Avoidance” (front page, Sept. 28):
Kudos to The Times for breaking this story. With Election Day five weeks away, the American people now have the vital information that President Trump has been hiding for years and can judge accordingly as to his fitness for office.
There’s an even larger story here, however. Donald Trump isn’t the only wealthy American who has played our tax system. I hope that this investigation will continue and expand to include a comprehensive review of a tax code that benefits rich people and profitable companies at the expense of ordinary citizens — ordinary citizens who work hard and pay their taxes yet are constantly told that cuts in public programs and services must be made because the federal government “can’t afford them.”
John E. Stafford
Rye, N.Y.
To the Editor:
It’s hard to know which is the most disturbing aspect of these revelations: the ability of the wealthy to exploit the tax code, President Trump’s interest in enriching himself and his family at the expense of others, or the certainty that his congressional supporters will continue to cheer him on regardless of their past declarations of him as a fraud and a cheat.
Although I am heartened by the free and independent news media that has exposed the president’s mendacity and selfishness, we should all remain concerned that the president may be willing to pull any lever to retain the office of the president and hold off continued examination of his finances.
Edwin Andrews
Malden, Mass.
To the Editor:
In the presidential debate on Tuesday night, when Donald Trump refers to the revelations regarding his tax payments as “fake news,” as he inevitably will, Joe Biden’s response should be this:
“You can prove the story wrong right now by releasing your tax returns. There is nothing preventing you from doing so, including your false assertion that the audit needs to be completed. But you won’t release the returns, and now we all know why.
“So while you will be preoccupied over the next four years with figuring out how to repay the hundreds of millions of dollars in loans that you personally guaranteed, let me tell you what I plan to accomplish as president of the United States.”
Wendy Livingston
Mountain Lakes, N.J.
To the Editor:
As a tax accountant, I have been looking forward to seeing Donald Trump’s taxes. In addition to showing that he paid almost no taxes for years, they will also show the partnerships he is involved in, including foreign partnerships, among other things. He should be held accountable.
Mr. Trump’s taxes will further expose what the superrich have been getting away with for years. Perhaps this is one reason he continues to get so much support from them even as he proves just how incompetent and dishonest he is.
Anne K. Johnson
New York
Source: Read Full Article