House Ways and Means Committee Requests Trump Tax Returns From IRS

The House Ways and Means Committee has formally requested that the IRS turn over President Trumps tax returns.

Democrats have officially launched their assault on President Donald Trump's tax returns. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., on Wednesday evening said he had filed a formal request with the Treasury Department for the documents.

NBC News

There is another committee that can request tax returns from the IRS....
The SENATE Finance Committee.
I wonder if the Dems have thought this through.
It could get ugly.

a reply to: butcherguy

It's an obvious campaign gimmick.

First, no President or elected official is obligated to turn over tax records.

Second, the IRS would have to break the law to comply.

They know they can't get them, so it's just propaganda for their voting base. There will be a lot of this from both sides sadly. Partisans suck up propaganda.

a reply to: Blaine91555

No, it seems that Congress passed a law in 1924 that makes this all legal.
It will be fought of course...
NPR

(f) Disclosure to Committees of Congress (1) Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Finance, and Joint Committee on Taxation Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request, except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.

US Code 26. Cornell University

a reply to: butcherguy

From the law...

except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer

Blaine is correct.

For them to ask for a set of tax returns from a particular individual is illegal.

It's just a gimmick for their base, like Nadless asking Barr to break the law and just cough up the unredacted Mueller report.

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: Blaine91555

No, it seems that Congress passed a law in 1924 that makes this all legal.
It will be fought of course...
NPR

(f) Disclosure to Committees of Congress (1) Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Finance, and Joint Committee on Taxation Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request, except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.

US Code 26. Cornell University

Man that is some legal speak if I ever saw it. Hurts my head just looking at it.

originally posted by: Lumenari
a reply to: butcherguy

From the law...

except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer

Blaine is correct.

To ask for an individual set of tax returns from a particular individual is illegal.

It's just a gimmick for their base, like Nadless asking Barr to break the law and just cough up the unredacted Mueller report.

Read past the blurb you quoted.
The individual taxpayer is not involved with the decision.
The committee requests it from the IRS and the IRS is obligated by law to hand it over to the committee.
The committee must keep the info inside of a closed session.... UNLESS the taxpayer agrees to release outside of the committee.
It is this part her... I posted it above earlier:

particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.

I hope they succeed and set a precedent.
I’d love to see a few Dems returns, is it Pelosi that has an income of $300K and a net worth of $200mill+ ?

That one would be a doozy

a reply to: butcherguy

There is no executive session for committees in the House of Representatives.

That is for committees in the Senate and Senate business.

An executive session is a portion of the United States Senate's daily session in which it considers nominations and treaties, or other items introduced by the President of the United States.

You know, business introduced by our Executive branch.

particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.

The argument here appears to be that the intent is such that they can review it, but are not allowed to make it public. Its the argument I'd make if I wanted to fight it.

If they want Trump's tax returns , who cares?

Make it public.


However, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

So, let everyone in congress make their tax returns public.

a reply to: Lumenari

I am seeing references that they do hold executive sessions in that house committee.

During the April 9 Ways and Means executive session to mark up the letter to the Justice Department, Camp said the letter would become public record upon its being voted to the House, a move he said was made under the authority of section 6103(f)(4)(A) and after consulting with the House parliamentarian and counsel and with the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Tax history . Org

a reply to: butcherguy

Then they are really stretching the definition of executive session, since by definition it deals with business from the Executive branch.

We'll see.... still think it's a political gimmick.

a reply to: butcherguy

So a multi-millionaire turned politician, need to see the tax records.

But a politician turned multi-millionaire? Crickets.

This is what I want to see. . . . .

"I left my tax returns are on your mama's pillow, bitch."
Donald Trump

House Ways and Means Committee Requests Trump Tax Returns From IRS...



And I believe the IRS will tell them no,

a reply to: butcherguy

I was listening to CNN when they broke this "exclusive" a couple hours ago. (Democrats always leak and report actions to CNN first.)

The chairman of the committee said they request tax returns all the time. He's researched and worked with IRS officials for 3 months to make sure his request for President Trump's tax returns is legal and properly formatted.

For those of us wanting to see President Trump take the (long promised) action against House Democrats who cross this "red line", today's Tax Returns request may finally cause our too-patient President go on offense.

a reply to: butcherguy

I wonder if the Dems have thought this through.

They never think it through, its like dealing with a hyper active 4 yr old, they want it and want it now... and never consider it can be used against them down the road.

Change to the rules regarding confirmation of a supreme court justice for example.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: butcherguy

So a multi-millionaire turned politician, need to see the tax records.

But a politician turned multi-millionaire? Crickets.

This is what I want to see. . . . .

"I left my tax returns are on your mama's pillow, bitch."
Donald Trump

Wow, cowboy this is only about transparency, which by the way, every other President put it forth

In a gadda da vida.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Good point! I also want to see which Congressmen paid millions in "hush money" out of our tax dollars, to keep themselves out of the sex assault spotlight.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
House Ways and Means Committee Requests Trump Tax Returns From IRS...

And I believe the IRS will tell them no,

It ought to be interesting to hear the arguments against it.

Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) issued the following statement after sending a written request to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig for six years of President Donald J. Trump’s personal and business tax returns:

….“The IRS has a policy of auditing the tax returns of all sitting presidents and vice-presidents, yet little is known about the effectiveness of this program. On behalf of the American people, the Ways and Means Committee must determine if that policy is being followed, and, if so, whether these audits are conducted fully and appropriately. In order to fairly make that determination, we must obtain President Trump’s tax returns and review whether the IRS is carrying out its responsibilities. The Committee has a duty to examine whether Congressional action may be needed to require such audits, and to oversee that they are conducted properly.

“I today submitted to IRS Commissioner Rettig my request for six years of the president’s personal tax returns as well as the returns for some of his business entities. We have completed the necessary groundwork for a request of this magnitude and I am certain we are within our legitimate legislative, legal, and oversight rights.

waysandmeans.house.gov...

a reply to: Lumenari

LOL! Not entirely...

except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.

Here's where this gets hilariously funny... an "executive session" of Congress is a session called specifically to discuss items introduced by the President of the United States. Therefore, the Dems would have to get Trump to officially call for review of his own tax returns just to be able to strong arm the IRS into providing them. Of further humor, that review and all findings of it are legally mandated to remain "closed session," meaning if they did get the President to introduce the review but still refused to provide the returns himself and they had to go through the IRS directly, any member of the committee who discusses the findings in any way outside of the closed session, even to the point of saying anything beyond "no comment" when asked, would be in direct violation of the law and subject to censure, expulsion, and possibly misdemeanor charges with the potential of jail time.

Let them make fools of themselves because that's exactly where this will lead.