Live data from Hacker News

Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

nytimes.com

41–50 of 280 posts

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#41
post #13
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that it should be law that the finances of the people at these levels of governence (maybe even down to the city level) be open to the public to review.

Well, it is the law that you're not eligible for a security clearance if you have significant debt.

Does that apply to the President? (At this point it seems clear that nothing applies to the president; let’s hope to god that someone makes a new amendment for that.)

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#42

Does anyone have any more detailed information about the losses, specifically from the real estate side of his businesses? Real estate can frequently show a tax loss from depreciation while generating cash flow. But depreciation only applies to improvements, and it sounds like the golf courses are a significant part of the losses. I don't know enough about golf courses to determine if depreciation is a big factor her…

Better show tax loss and not pay taxes on it.

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#43
post #21

Outside of the near meaningless confirmation of Trump's status as a "fake" billionaire and how that may affect his ego, there's is an alarming piece of information here. The man owes hundreds of millions of dollars in personal loans that he may not be able to repay. They will come due during his second term. Given his lack of ethics it's worrying to me that a president could have that kind of leverage against him. Da…

This is a HUGE distinction that gets glossed over because it's hard to see the implication from a headline. A lot of his critics pointing to his "bankruptcies" had focused on businesses going bust. So, fair enough, his casinos sucked, but knowing when to declare a business insolvent is a legitimate skill and not necessarily a sign of someone who is overall bad with money. Taking on $300M against your own name is madn…

> There's no way you can go into that much debt without significant foreign or less-legitimate lenders in the mix.

We’ve known about Deutsche Bank for quite a while now.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/business/trump-deutsche-b...

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does the forced release of Trump's tax returns demonstrate anything about his willingness to sacrifice for the USA?

He's been losing money in office and has been donating his paycheck every quarter. He's not being president for the money.

Lol. He's been manipulating the stock market for gain since he took power.

Buy puts. Threaten a trade war on Twitter. Profit.

Buy calls. Cancel the trade war on Twitter. Profit.

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#45

Outside of the near meaningless confirmation of Trump's status as a "fake" billionaire and how that may affect his ego, there's is an alarming piece of information here. The man owes hundreds of millions of dollars in personal loans that he may not be able to repay. They will come due during his second term. Given his lack of ethics it's worrying to me that a president could have that kind of leverage against him. Da…

I'm pretty sure that after the unaccountable trillion dollar business backstop and the federal government acting as a supplier of PPE to private corporations this is no longer something we have to worry about.

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#46
post #38
post #14

I’m more concerned about how this information was sourced. Did it get leaked from the IRS or an accountant? It feels like that part of the story is the bigger deal. I love the NYT but this feels kind of like doxing and makes me very uncomfortable.

>It feels like that part of the story is the bigger deal. You think that is the bigger deal? I suppose it is a variant of doxing, but it doesn't look like the NYT is going to post the actual returns, just their interpretation.

Didn't they also post their interpretation of American history recently?

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#47

Will it make a difference?

Should it - yes.

Will it - possibly not, on the one hand if you are supporting trump now what could possibly convince you although money is money: He's a terrible businessman, and he pays no tax. That's a huge amount of his appeal to some.

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#49
Just like (multiple) bogus draft deferments despite being a football player, where someone else has to go in your place (and possible chance they got killed) when you pay no taxes, someone else is carrying your burden.

$140 Billion in annual loses means you got to spend a lot of that and enjoy those benefits in the meanwhile.

Re: Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance

#50

For comparison, President Trump payed $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017. I just looked it up and I, a graduate student who makes like $30k a year paid three times that amount last year.

All his properties are in corporations or limited liabilities, like almost every other business in the country. Those corporations do pay taxes. His securities, investments, etc. are in a trust, required by law, I believe, which would also pay taxes separately.

He donates to charity 100% of his US government salary. I'm wondering how he even owed $750 on federal taxes.

Post reply on HN