Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has released her tax returns and so has Senator Bernie Sanders. Donald Trump, the presumptive republican Presidential nominee has not and says he won't until after an IRS audit is completed. The IRS has said the audit has nothing to do with Trump releasing his tax returns. It has been a tradition for Presidential candidates to release their tax returns.
Hillary Clinton has released her tax returns for over 30 years, more than any other person by far seeking public office. From 2007 thru 2014 the Clintons paid over $43 million in taxes. They paid an effective federal tax rate of 35.4% in 2013 and 35.7% in 2014. In state taxes, they paid an effective rate of 44.6% in 2013 and 45.8% in 2014. That is one heck of a lot more than her democratic or republican opponents who can not walk the talk when it comes to paying their fare share of taxes.
So far Senator Sanders has released one year of tax returns that show he paid an effective federal tax rate of 17%. He says more will be released so time will tell. Trump's income and wealth will probably make Clinton and Sanders look like paupers if he ever releases his tax returns and no one should be surprised if his returns show he has paid a lower federal tax rate than Sanders. Trump is the only one of the three who has proposed lowering the Corporate tax rate and the tax rate the wealthy pay if he is elected President.
Hillary Clinton wins this issue in a landslide and is credible on walking the talk when it comes to the issue of paying ones fair share of taxes. Trump is just a loud mouth bully until he releases his tax returns and it shows he can walk the talk of paying his fair share of taxes.
Note: Mitt Romney, the 2012 republican Presidential nominee released his tax returns and it showed he paid an effective federal tax rate of 13%. He too had a platform that called for reducing the taxes on Corporations and the wealthy and failed to walk the talk.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
