US income tax department told to send Trump tax files by Apr 23
This is second attempt by the Democrat-led committee to get his tax returns
WASHINGTON: A US congressional panel has asked the federal income tax department to turn over President Donald Trump’s income tax returns for the last six years by April 23, after it missed an earlier deadline, in a tussle that may lead to a legal battle all the way up to the Supreme Court.
“The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) has failed to provide the requested... information despite an unambiguous legal obligation to do so,” Richard E Neal, head of the Democratic-led House committee on ways and means, wrote in a letter to the IRS commissioner on Saturday. “I expect a reply from the IRS by 5:00 pm on April 23, 2019. Please know that, if you fail to comply, your failure will be interpreted as a denial of my request.”
The revenue department, which reports to the US treasury, is in no mood to comply, taking the lead from the White House, which has said it would never allow for Trump’s tax returns to be turned over to Congress.
Trump also addressed the issue in an exchange with reporters. He denied he is required to hand over his tax returns by law and claimed he would have released them if he was not under audit and that he is currently under audit. This has been his excuse since his presidential race in 2016, for breaking with a decades-long tradition of US presidents and nominees releasing their tax returns.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives is determined, however, to bring the president, his family and his businesses under more scrutiny.
TRUMP USES 9/11 TO HIT MUSLIM LAWMAKER
President Trump was criticised for using video clips of the 9/11 terrorist strikes in a tweet to attack a Muslim Democratic member of the House of the Representatives, Ilhan Omar. The Congresswoman had complained that the entire Muslim community was being denied civil liberties because “some people did something” on 9/11. Conservatives have accused her of downplaying the attack.
On Sunday, the White House said Trump was not trying to incite violence against Omar, arguing that he has an absolute duty to highlight what the Minnesota Democrat’s own critics say is her history of anti-semitic and other divisive comments.