Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,079 posts)
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:15 PM Sep 2016

Trump directed $2.3 million owed to him to his tax-exempt foundation instead

Source: Washington Post

Donald Trump’s charitable foundation has received approximately $2.3 million from companies that owed money to Trump or one of his businesses but were instructed to pay Trump’s tax-exempt foundation instead, according to people familiar with the transactions.

In cases where he diverted his own income to his foundation, tax experts said, Trump would still likely be required to pay taxes on the income. Trump has refused to release his personal tax returns. His campaign said he paid income tax on one of the donations, but did not respond to questions about the others.

****

But, tax experts say, the IRS generally requires that the person who was owed the money pay income tax on it. One key factor: Did the person exercise control over where their money went? If the money was directed to a specific recipient, it generally counts as income.

“You cannot take money that you earned, that’s your income, and direct it elsewhere” without paying taxes, said Ellen Aprill, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. “If you do it, you have to treat it as your income, and you have to pay tax on it first.”


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-directed-23-million-owed-to-him-to-his-charity-instead/2016/09/26/7a9e9fac-8352-11e6-ac72-a29979381495_story.html?postshare=2761474922583336&tid=ss_tw



More exceptional reporting by David Fahrenthold regarding the Trump Foundation "charity" scam/slush fund.

The refusal by Trump to release personal income tax returns makes glaring sense now. He's a cheat.

46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trump directed $2.3 million owed to him to his tax-exempt foundation instead (Original Post) Tommy_Carcetti Sep 2016 OP
A Common Ordinary Thief moman Sep 2016 #1
Sniff and coke user wordpix Sep 2016 #46
Holly molly, that's straight up tax evasion!!! The NY AG's going to fry him. Foggyhill Sep 2016 #2
I sure hope so. I hop something sticks to Teflon Don! Farmgirl1961 Sep 2016 #26
Oh yeah! Drip...drop. PearliePoo2 Sep 2016 #3
If lester Holt reads the news molova Sep 2016 #4
I doubt it will come up Farmgirl1961 Sep 2016 #27
Come on, AG! Daemonaquila Sep 2016 #5
I think drumpf thinks he's above the law ailsagirl Sep 2016 #14
Then he turns around and self-deals on it...this is an ordinary tax evasion operation alcibiades_mystery Sep 2016 #6
I agree with you, instead of taking the money as income then direct it to your foundation and Thinkingabout Sep 2016 #7
Then why don't they arrest him?? ailsagirl Sep 2016 #15
Then why don't they arrest him?? if I did this, i'd be in the slammer trueblue2007 Sep 2016 #21
Remember Bush eliminated many auditors. So they are spread thin. SleeplessinSoCal Sep 2016 #24
Only "if." Igel Sep 2016 #42
Hopefully during the debate! Farmgirl1961 Sep 2016 #28
Did the companies who 'donated' take a charitable deduction for the payments? keithbvadu2 Sep 2016 #8
No, no, you simply don't understand! jmowreader Sep 2016 #17
Move over Mother Theresa,,,,, Saint Trump coming through. keithbvadu2 Sep 2016 #38
Why hasn't an audit exposed this? PearliePoo2 Sep 2016 #9
+ 1 red dog 1 Sep 2016 #23
No wonder he's not releasing his tax returns. tinrobot Sep 2016 #10
Good question re $500k contributed by NBCUniversal lamp_shade Sep 2016 #11
This is the direction this investigation should go JunkYardDogg Sep 2016 #12
Hopefully this not only brings down Trump but also WWE nt maryellen99 Sep 2016 #30
Why is it he can do these illegal things with impunity?? ailsagirl Sep 2016 #13
The legal and judicial system moves VERY slowly Cosmocat Sep 2016 #19
And just think ...................... turbinetree Sep 2016 #16
thank goodness the election is in six weeks and not tomorrow renate Sep 2016 #18
I don't think so Cosmocat Sep 2016 #20
Josh Marshall's analysis (Talkingpointsmemo).. lamp_shade Sep 2016 #22
Trump is scum. nt SunSeeker Sep 2016 #25
Just like Al Capone sweetroxie Sep 2016 #29
We can but hope Hekate Sep 2016 #33
Dear Donald, cstanleytech Sep 2016 #31
Kick Hekate Sep 2016 #32
This looks like tax fraud Gothmog Sep 2016 #34
Whoopsie! Did the Donald break the law? ffr Sep 2016 #35
We all should contact the IRS and fill out Form 3949-A (On-line) red dog 1 Sep 2016 #36
tax cheat. just say it. SAY IT! pansypoo53219 Sep 2016 #37
fucking con man Skittles Sep 2016 #39
Wow, he just can't stop using the charity as his own personal piggy bank, can he? Initech Sep 2016 #40
Jesus H. Christ. Why isn't this asshole in prison? He's so crooked that when he dies, they're gonna catbyte Sep 2016 #41
This happens because the IRS is under funded Delmette Sep 2016 #43
Grifter benld74 Sep 2016 #44
Billionaire tax evasion, move along, it's nothing wordpix Sep 2016 #45

Foggyhill

(1,060 posts)
2. Holly molly, that's straight up tax evasion!!! The NY AG's going to fry him.
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:17 PM
Sep 2016

I think this thing is going to be really bad, especially if HRC
makes it a talking point with all the surrogates.
 

Daemonaquila

(1,712 posts)
5. Come on, AG!
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:23 PM
Sep 2016

Just charge him already. Even if you don't win on everything, you'll force his taxes into the public record. That's enough.

 

alcibiades_mystery

(36,437 posts)
6. Then he turns around and self-deals on it...this is an ordinary tax evasion operation
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:24 PM
Sep 2016

It is criminal behavior. He diverts funds owed to him to the Foundation, then uses Foundation funds to settle his own debts. What's the result? He evades the taxes properly owed on the earnings. Period.

It is illegal without qualification.

Trump is an ordinary tax cheat and criminal.

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
7. I agree with you, instead of taking the money as income then direct it to your foundation and
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:36 PM
Sep 2016

Then use the foundation money to pay your bills. That's pretty thin, he needs more than an audit, it should be tax evasion charges.

SleeplessinSoCal

(8,992 posts)
24. Remember Bush eliminated many auditors. So they are spread thin.
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 06:37 PM
Sep 2016

I recall Air America back around 2005 reporting the elimination of the IRS auditors favoring the rich. T-Rump could be a full time job for the justice dept. Maybe he'll wind up behind bars. But then again he is only one among thousands who hide their wealth. How do we get the Libertarians to understand the downside of their shortsighted arguments against government?

Igel

(35,191 posts)
42. Only "if."
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 08:37 PM
Sep 2016

If he didn't pay taxes on it. He did on one such diversion of funds, his spokesfolk says, but there's no word about the rest.

The worst that would happen is somebody would investigate you.

He's teflon because the same assumption of guilty until proven innocent works the same for his supporters--innocent until proven guilty. Moreover, a lot of moderates assume "innocent until proven guilty" is the default position.

keithbvadu2

(36,360 posts)
8. Did the companies who 'donated' take a charitable deduction for the payments?
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:38 PM
Sep 2016

Did the companies who 'donated' take a charitable deduction for the payments?

That would be fraud right there because they received value for their money.

jmowreader

(50,447 posts)
17. No, no, you simply don't understand!
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:58 PM
Sep 2016

Y'see, Trump is such an altruistic fella he does all his work for free, working his stumpy little fingers to the bone for the good of the common man. He'd NEVER ask for a cent because he does things out of the generosity of his yooge heart. Because he toils without any hope of compensation, he's a poor but honest man...kinda like Mahatma Ghandi if Ghandi was the color of a cheeto.

The power of Trump's purity of essence naturally motivates people to donate the money they might have paid him if he was a lesser man to a tax-deductible charity instead.

Because Trump is a pauper, it is completely legal and fitting for charity to give money to enable the poor man to have a modest roof over his head, nourishing food to eat and clothing to protect him from the elements as he stands outside washing windshields to earn cigarette money.

It's all perfectly above board. His personal accountant, Harold Bornstein CPA, says his impoverished client would never do anything wrong, and if Trump's accountant says this scheme (which at first glance dwarfs the scandal that sent Al Capone to Al Catraz) is on the level who are you to argue.

JunkYardDogg

(873 posts)
12. This is the direction this investigation should go
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:47 PM
Sep 2016

About 10 days ago, David was on Mark Thompson's Sirrius radio show & listed some of the sources of the donations to the Trump Foundation.
He started with $5 million from Vince McMahan/WWE in 2007 and did not elaborate- I checked and saw that that Trump was in the 2007 WrestleMania 23 show- and I figured that this was his payment. I called into the show, & told David about this. After that, I got to thinking about this, did a bit more research, and I have sent David 2 emails saying that he should concentrate his research into this, that of Trump diverting payments for his services & work into the Foundation in order to avoid paying taxes on the money.
Well,it looks like this is the direction David is pursuing, I think this a serious deal, a lot bigger than just a $20,000 painting

maryellen99

(3,781 posts)
30. Hopefully this not only brings down Trump but also WWE nt
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 06:58 PM
Sep 2016

The McMahons have been the biggest donors to his foundation.

ailsagirl

(22,837 posts)
13. Why is it he can do these illegal things with impunity??
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:48 PM
Sep 2016

Aren't the authorities keeping a close watch on him?? I just don't get it.

And it makes me boil

Cosmocat

(14,543 posts)
19. The legal and judicial system moves VERY slowly
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 06:05 PM
Sep 2016

My guess is that most of this is only coming to light because of his exposure to running for POTUS.

It is out, but it takes a lot of time for a potential prosecutor to decide to try to pursue it then actually start investigating to be able to get to the point where charges are submitted.

I suspect that, god willing the jackass loses, he will be up to his neck in charges from the foundation by early next summer. Don't forsee it happening if he wins.

EITHER WAY, if this was anyone else, this and/or the russian connections would be absolute death kneels for their campaign.

turbinetree

(24,631 posts)
16. And just think ......................
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 05:57 PM
Sep 2016

while the scammer in chief is using his depreciated 757-200 ac to toodle around the country, he has to have a secret service protection right?

Well the said 757-200 only has 40 seats on board, so he is charging the tax payers so far 1.6 million, and putting that money into his business----------------------got that!

There is not enough room for all of the secret service personnel------got that .

So he is already billing the tax payers too continue the scam, you know that little thing called transparenacy

here ya go folks, don't just love paying for a fraud racist bigot

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-secret-service-campaign-travel-payments-228553

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/09/23/secret_service_is_paying_donald_trump_for_airfare_while_providing_campaign.html



renate

(13,776 posts)
18. thank goodness the election is in six weeks and not tomorrow
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 06:01 PM
Sep 2016

The shenanigans with his foundation are starting to make the results of tonight's debate--whatever they may be--seem less and less important.

Of course he will still have his army of knuckle-draggers and poo-flingers, but normal people who simply haven't been keeping up with politics till now can still change their minds.

Cosmocat

(14,543 posts)
20. I don't think so
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 06:09 PM
Sep 2016

This is bad, REALLY bad, like he will likely be neck deep in charges for it by next summer and probably found guilty, too.

However, this has been out long enough and while some media outlets are reporting it, the chattering class has had no interest in talking about it, and frankly I don't forsee the country giving a shit.

Me and you and anyone supporting Hillary will hate it, he won't lose a single supporter over it, and mindless dolts who somehow don't see the importance of getting behind the only candidate worth having the office don't have the first level of urgency to this election to have this move the needle much.

red dog 1

(27,647 posts)
36. We all should contact the IRS and fill out Form 3949-A (On-line)
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 07:26 PM
Sep 2016

"How Do You Report Suspected Tax Fraud Activity?"
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/how-do-you-report-suspected-tax-fraud-activity

Then, we should all contact President Obama, and ask him to direct Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen to please audit Donald J. Trump's tax returns for the past 5 years, because there is evidence that he is a tax cheat.

CALL THE PRESIDENT:
White House Comment Line:
202-456-1111

E-Mail The President
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

If enough of us do this, they might actually DO something about this tax cheat!

(It can't hurt)

catbyte

(34,165 posts)
41. Jesus H. Christ. Why isn't this asshole in prison? He's so crooked that when he dies, they're gonna
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 08:19 PM
Sep 2016

have to screw him into the ground. And half the voters in America support this sleazy POS.

The mind boggles.

Delmette

(522 posts)
43. This happens because the IRS is under funded
Mon Sep 26, 2016, 08:37 PM
Sep 2016

And the IRS is understaffed. There is probably one group to audit foundations, one for business and another for personal tax returns. No one has time or resources to cross check all entities against each other.

Under funded and understaffed thanks to Republican budget cuts.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Trump directed $2.3 milli...