Who cares about Trump s tax returns? | Spectator USA

Is anyone really surprised that Donald Trump s tax affairs are opaque? Or that he is not as rich as he claims? Is it really all that horrifying that he has for years claimed business losses in order to offset his significant income tax liability? Does it appall us that the Trump family used a Delaware-based consulting group to pay themselves?

Of course not.

The New York Times s big Trump tax files splash on Sunday is therefore something of a flop. It is well-timed an election is fast-approaching and the story might give Biden a good attack line in the big TV debate on Tuesday night. The reportage is quite interesting, too, especially to those of us who take a sordid interest in how the richest among us can get away with paying so little to the government.

But there is no smoking gun. Despite clearly exhaustive efforts, the Times investigative team has failed to uncover any illegality or clear wrongdoing. In fact, the subtext of the story is a mounting frustration at the skill of Trump s accountants in alleviating their man s fiscal burden. The reporters seem particularly pained to note that a law passed under President Barack Obama enabled Trump to recoup more historic losses than he could otherwise have done.

via spectator.us