WASHINGTON – Hillary Clinton released her 2015 tax returns on Friday, which showed the Democratic presidential nominee and her husband had $10.75 million ($F122.04m) in income that year and paid an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 per cent.
In 2015, the Clintons made $1m in charitable contributions, mostly to the Clinton Foundation; former President Bill Clinton brought in nearly $5.3m in speaking fees; and the former secretary of state reported income of $3m on from publisher Simon & Schuster for her book on her tenure at the State Department.
Mrs Clinton’s running mate, US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with his wife, Anne Holton, released 10 years of tax returns. They paid an effective federal tax rate of 20.3 per cent in 2015.
“Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency,” Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. “In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns.”
It is customary for US presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so. Mrs Clinton’s tax returns have been made public, in some form, every year since 1977.
Mr Trump, a New York businessman, and his lawyers have cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason for his refusal to release his returns. Mr Trump also has said his taxes are no one’s business and that they reveal little. “Your move,” Clinton campaign aide Ian Sams said on Twitter, linking to the Democratic nominee’s returns.
The Trump campaign dismissed Mrs Clinton’s action, saying in a statement: “This document release is nothing more than an attempt at distraction and misdirection” from controversy about her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.
The IRS has said Mr Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. On Thursday, Mr Trump’s special counsel, Michael Cohen, told CNN he would not allow Mr Trump to release them until the audits are complete.
Mr Trump’s critics, including 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other fellow Republicans, have said his refusal raises questions about his net worth, his charitable contributions, his business dealings and various other ties, including with Russia. Mrs Clinton has pounced on the issue, releasing an online video on Friday highlighting high-profile Republicans urging Mr Trump to release his taxes.
