For months now, much attention has been centered around Donald Trump and his refusal to release his tax returns among other things. Amidst other allegations revolving around his temperament and behavior, many have made the assumption that Donald Trump has not been paying his fair share of taxes, possibly avoiding them for over 15 years. However, Donald Trump claims he is being audited by the IRS, but even that has been subject to scrutiny.
It is entirely possible that Donald Trump could be telling the truth, but his reasoning could be a simple way of dismissing the claim altogether to keep something hidden. In fact, there are several legitimate reasons why Donald Trump may intentionally be avoiding to release his tax returns to the public that could cause him damage in some other form.
1. He's Not As "Rich" As People May Assume
Currently, Donald Trump's net worth is projected at a staggering 3.7 billion dollars, placing him as the 156th richest man in the world. While Trump is worth that much, and he has made a point in mentioning his immense wealth, it is possible that his tax returns might not tell the same story today. In 2014, it was estimated that Trump made about 362 million dollars. While anyone wishes they could make this amount of money, it is certainly far from the billions that Trump has claimed to accumulate year after year, and he may want to avoid revealing that fact to avoid stigmatization and controversy.
2. He Has Found Loopholes in the Tax Code
Donald Trump has gone on record to say that he knows the tax code better than anyone else. He even admits to using tax loopholes to avoid paying certain taxes. On one hand, he may not want to reveal to the public what those loopholes are. However, the more likely option is that his tax returns may not reflect the fact that he actively took advantage of tax returns. If his returns show that he paid very little taxes, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may be quick to bash Donald Trump for not paying his fair share of taxes, among others and some of the media. As displayed in this article, Republicans have already garnered a tainted reputation, and Donald Trump's actions may only add fuel to that fire.
3. He Wants to Avoid Media Scrutinization
Donald Trump has been critical of the media ever since the beginning of his campaign. Even recently, he has slammed the media for conspiring against him amidst sexual misconduct allegationsagainst him. In fact, he might even fear to release any of his documents in case the media might try to use them against him. His reputation has been subject to various conspiracies, attacks, allegations and accusations, and, at this point, with less than a month until the election, Trump may be attempting to conceal some of his information to increase his chances at seizing victory in the election.
We may be quick to assume that Donald Trump doesn't pay his taxes because he doesn't release his tax returns. In this case, Donald Trump is known to have a reactive personality and sometimes says the wrong things at the wrong time, but it is important that we do not just take information at face value, but rather speculate and analyze a situation with information and facts before we make our own decision on these matters.
