Cohen: Trump feared audit if he released tax returns

[babylonsister]

Article is old! One month give or take...

February 27, 2019 / 4:54 PM / a month ago
Cohen: Trump feared audit if he released tax returns
David Morgan


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen said on Wednesday that Trump has not released his tax returns because he feared that public scrutiny would lead to an audit and tax penalties.

In congressional testimony that could aid efforts by House Democrats to obtain Trump’s returns, Cohen also said he does not believe the president is under audit, despite repeated claims by Trump that he could not release his returns because they are being audited by the Internal Revenue Service.

Members of the House of Representatives tax committee also pointed to other segments of Cohen’s testimony as topics likely to draw further scrutiny, including claims that Trump deflated the value of his properties to lower his tax bill and called the government “stupid” for giving him a $10 million tax refund in 2008.

more...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-taxes/cohen-trump-feared-audit-if-he-released-tax-returns-idUSKCN1QG2X7

[PSPS]

1. "because they are being audited by the Internal Revenue Service"

There is nothing that prohibits anyone from publicly releasing their own tax returns regardless of whether they're being audited or not.

[unblock]

3. He has very good reason not to want public scrutiny

Because he knows he's a tax cheat and doesn't want the public to alert the irs and federal prosecutors and point out exactly where he cheated.

I have no proof of course. I'm just going by the fact that he's behavior is not consistent with an honest tax paying politician

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Trump should be more worried about a real audit.

He lies about everything, so why should he be truthful with the accounting firm handling his return(s)? The classic two-sets-of-books deal, y'know?