The House ways and means committee released redacted versions of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday, capping an extensive three-year legal battle.
The committee gained access to six years’ worth of Trump’s tax returns in November, and earlier this month released a report on the returns, which span 2015 through 2020.
In a statement, House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said the move came out of a balance-of-power check on how the IRS enforces the tax code on presidents. He said that was “the first time” such a request from the committee was denied.
“[A]t the root of it all, it is our federal tax system that funds the democracy we all cherish and love,” Neal said. “A president is no ordinary taxpayer. They hold power and influence unlike any other American. And with great power comes even greater responsibility.”
Trump refused to release his tax returns throughout his presidency, something presidential candidates have voluntarily done since the 1970s. White House spokespeople repeatedly and falsely claimed Trump could not do so because he was under audit.
An IRS requirement dating back to 1977 orders audits of a president’s tax filings, according to the Associated Press, which noted there were audits of President Joe Biden’s tax filings for 2020 and 2021. The report on Trump’s returns “found that there was only one mandatory audit started and none completed during his four years in office,” and described the audit program as “dormant, at best.”
The new trove of documents, comprising hundreds of pages, confirmed earlier reporting from The New York Times that Trump claimed several foreign bank accounts between 2015 and 2020, including one based in China. In 2020, he paid more tax to China than he did in U.S. federal income taxes.
In November, Trump announced plans to run for president again in 2024, despite being under multiple criminal investigations and battling a slew of financial issues.
View the redacted versions of Trump’s tax returns (Attachment E) here.
Sara Boboltz contributed to this report.