Trump Paid Zero Income Tax In 2020 Due To 'Losses'

Donald Trump paid no income tax during the final full year of his presidency as he reported a loss from his business interests, according to tax figures released by a congressional panel, Andy Sullivan reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: Donald and Melania Trump

The records, released late on Tuesday by the Democratic-led House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee after a years-long fight, show that Trump's income, and his tax liability, fluctuated dramatically during his four years in the White House.

Trump and his wife, Melania, paid some form of tax during all four years, the documents showed, but were able to minimize their income taxes for several years as income from Trump's businesses was more than offset by deductions and losses.

The panel questioned the legitimacy of those deductions, including one for $916 million, and members said on Tuesday the tax returns were short on details. The panel is expected to release redacted versions of his full returns in coming days.

Trump refused to make his tax returns public during his two presidential bids and his campaign for office, even though all other major-party presidential candidates have done so for decades. The committee obtained the records after a years-long fight and voted on Tuesday to make them public.

A Trump spokesman said the release of the documents was politically motivated. "If this injustice can happen to President Trump, it can happen to all Americans without cause," Trump Organization spokesman Steven Cheung said.

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