# As President, will Trump's tax returns be public record? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556 "2017-03-06T16:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/1 "2017-03-06T16:50:18Z")
…And will they include all his financials from the taxable year? Or does the President file separate returns for his public life and his private life? How’s this going to work? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/2 "2017-03-06T17:17:24Z")
No, why would being president change the privacy of his tax returns? There simply is nothing that requires anyone to release their tax returns except public pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/3 "2017-03-06T17:28:11Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > No QFT ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/4 "2017-03-06T18:00:58Z")
Of course if there were nothing to hide there should be no problem releasing them. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/5 "2017-03-06T18:51:49Z")
[His salary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States#Compensation) as a public servant is public record. I think that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/6 "2017-03-06T19:12:33Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > [His salary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States#Compensation) as a public servant is public record. I think that’s all. Even that’s [uncertain](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1341/take-no-salary/). ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/7 "2017-03-06T20:24:39Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Of course if there were nothing to hide there should be no problem releasing them. The Donald is under continuous tax auditing … Here’s a Huffington Post article [“Trump Lawyers Claim He’s Under ‘Continuous’ IRS Audit”](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-irs-lawyers_us_56fc78c4e4b0a06d5804bd8c) – Mar 31st, 2016 … and as a general rule we don’t pay that much for legal advice and then just ignore it … so if I was in his shoes I’d be invoking my 5th Amendments Rights as well … ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/8 "2017-03-06T23:12:13Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Here’s a Huffington Post article [“Trump Lawyers Claim He’s Under ‘Continuous’ IRS Audit”](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-irs-lawyers_us_56fc78c4e4b0a06d5804bd8c) – Mar 31st, 2016 … and as a general rule we don’t pay that much for legal advice and then just ignore it. What legal advice? From the article that you linked to: > [@](#): > > The letter … gives no advice to Trump on his refusal to release any of his tax returns to the public. … [T]here is absolutely no reason why a person being audited can’t release tax returns to the public. > [@watchwolf49](#): > > so if I was in his shoes I’d be invoking my 5th Amendments Rights as well … The Fifth Amendment has nothing to do with the issue, since he’s not being asked to testify about a criminal case. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/9 "2017-03-07T00:21:58Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The Fifth Amendment has nothing to do with the issue, since he’s not being asked to testify about a criminal case. …yet. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/10 "2017-03-07T10:06:44Z")
If Congress forms a special investigative committee with subpoena power, the tax returns could be obtained. Given the current state of government leaks, the public would most likely soon have access to them. ---
**Author:** ![UncleFred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-president-will-trumps-tax-returns-be-public-record/781556/11 "2017-03-07T16:44:38Z")
comment withdrawn