Did Mitt Romney go a full 10 years without paying taxes?

rathi said:

It is quite unlikely that Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. His high income and high profile make it very difficult for any kind of tax evasion to avoid notice. There is no actual evidence that Romney did anything but pay whatever taxes are required by law. I would like him to release his tax forms as a measure of transparency, but Reid's baseless accusations and demands are without merit.

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And you don't think Obama has already had the IRS check Romneys tax returns for the past 30 years or so?

If there was anything there it would have been made official by now.

sawyerloggingon said:

The op was was about dirty Harry's allegation that Romney paid no taxes in 10 years. I pointed out a tax bill he paid in that time frame and gave a specific number which proves Harry is a liar. Seems like that has bearing to me but I have to remember I am trying to have an intelligent conversation with a "conservative" like the ones that call cspan and say, "I'm a conservative but" then they recite ever Dem talking point. I don't know what you guys think you accomplish with this act.

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Is that the discussion we're having, or did you decide to spew a bunch of nonsense in response to my post wher eI said I'd like to be able to get away with paying only 13.9%?

(hint: it's the latter)

Surtr said:

Nah, they'll still dog him, just like they would have dogged Obama even if they were there when he was born.

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They are already doing it. The one return he realeased showed a deduction for his wifes horse and they ran a political ad about it.

I can imagine what they would do with more years of his return to show he is just an evil rich guy.

0bserver92 said:

It wouldn't be surprising to me if he didn't pay taxes for 10 years.

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Why? Do you think Romeny is from Chicago?

Mason66 said:

They are already doing it. The one return he realeased showed a deduction for his wifes horse and they ran a political ad about it.

I can imagine what they would do with more years of his return to show he is just an evil rich guy.

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It should be obvious to everyone that what he is hiding is obviously worse than the shallacking he is taking right now for hiding them. Romney is in a lose-lose situation here. If he discloses, his campaign will implode....if he doesn't disclose, he has to deal with the American people losing trust in him and questioning his ethics and integrity.

Tucker Case said:

Still wouldn't work. I already give thousands to charity. I'd need to make almost all of my money off of capital gains to get that low.

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Bingo!
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.
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Mason66 said:

Bingo!

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I know.

Personally, though, I find it kind of sad, and pretty repulsive, that people who don't even work for their money pay a lower tax rate than most small business owners do. The real job creators/economy builders in this country. But, unfortunately, small business owners don't write the tax laws.

Guy Incognito said:

I honestly doubt it. Romney probably paid the minimum among of taxes he was legally require to pay. But for a guy like him with an army of the world's best accountants and tax lawyers at his command, he probably paid very little, and might even have legally paid nothing.
I think this is a brilliant maneuver by Ried. It puts Romney between a rock and a hard place because if he releases the returns it wil ruin him. If he doesn't, there's a cloud of suspicion hanging over him. And since Ried has done this all on his own, Obama is totally insulated.
Obama owes Ried a steak dinne after he gets reelected.

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I have never seen brilliant and Reid in the same sentence before and I doubt I will ever see it again.

disneydude said:

It should be obvious to everyone that what he is hiding is obviously worse than the shallacking he is taking right now for hiding them. Romney is in a lose-lose situation here. If he discloses, his campaign will implode....if he doesn't disclose, he has to deal with the American people losing trust in him and questioning his ethics and integrity.

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He is not hiding anything. They are not relevant to the campaign.

Just because he has and or makes more money than most doesn't mean he is to be held to a different standard than anybody else.

If there was anything illegal on any of his returns the IRS wold have nailed him to the wall by now, other than that it doesn't matter what rate he paid. It is all legal.

Tucker Case said:

I know.

Personally, though, I find it kind of sad, and pretty repulsive, that people who don't even work for their money pay a lower tax rate than most small business owners do. The real job creators/economy builders in this country. But, unfortunately, small business owners don't write the tax laws.

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Where did he get the money he invested? Did he not work for it?

If you are not happy with the current system of having different kinds of income taxed at different rates then you should do something to change it but until then it is perfectly legal.

If you were in his shoes would you voluntarily pay 35% on your capital gains because it is kind of sad that you pay a lower tax rate on that money?

Mason66 said:

He is not hiding anything. They are not relevant to the campaign.

Just because he has and or makes more money than most doesn't mean he is to be held to a different standard than anybody else.

If there was anything illegal on any of his returns the IRS wold have nailed him to the wall by now, other than that it doesn't matter what rate he paid. It is all legal.

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Different standard? How many people who have run for President only release 1 year of tax records? Seems like Romney is the one who is hoping to be held to a different standard than everyone else.

Mason66 said:

Where did he get the money he invested? Did he not work for it?

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Didn't he inherit much of it?

If you are not happy with the current system of having different kinds of income taxed at different rates then you should do something to change it but until then it is perfectly legal.

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Obviously. That's why I point out the problems as I see them. Alone, I can do nothing.

If you were in his shoes would you voluntarily pay 35% on your capital gains because it is kind of sad that you pay a lower tax rate on that money?

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Sure. I'd be filthy ****ing rich. But I'm not as money-oriented as most people.

disneydude said:

Different standard? How many people who have run for President only release 1 year of tax records? Seems like Romney is the one who is hoping to be held to a different standard than everyone else.

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Are you saying Obama was asked for 10 years of tax returns?

It must be because Obama is Mormon.

Tucker Case said:

Didn't he inherit much of it?



Obviously. That's why I point out the problems as I see them. Alone, I can do nothing.



Sure. I'd be filthy ****ing rich. But I'm not as money-oriented as most people.

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No he made his money.


Sure you would voluntarily pay $20% more than you are required to. You expect anybody to believe that?

Mason66 said:

No he made his money.

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Doing what?

Sure you would voluntarily pay $20% more than you are required to. You expect anybody to believe that?

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I don't care if you believe it, cause it's the truth. That's the best thing about reality. It doesn't give a **** if you wish to ignore it or not.

Tucker Case said:

Doing what?




I don't care if you believe it, cause it's the truth. That's the best thing about reality. It doesn't give a **** if you wish to ignore it or not.

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How much extra do youpay over your obligation right now?

Where is the "I honestly don't know; I'll decide after Romney finally releases his tax returns" option?

If there'd been a "He took advantage of every legal loophole and had really expensive lawyers make it possible for him to not pay his fair share" option it would have gotten my vote. Since he refuses to release his tax returns, I guess we'll never know.

Mason66 said:

How much extra do youpay over your obligation right now?

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Why would that matter? I'm not filthy rich.

You do realize what "If you were in his shoes" means right? Surely you didn't add that to your question while being completely oblivious to what it means.

My best guess imo is Romney probably had years he paid little or far below the percentage that a citizen earning 50,000/year pays. They probably used questionable loopholes and it is known he had hundreds of millions in which he did not pay tax by hiding on offshore accounts. He also hold investments in companies that are not in line with the values of many Americans of any political party.

He did not earn his money by producing or empowering anything about our citizens or country yet he was able to successfully earn income for very wealthy people (earned his own by taking a slice of the pie) and helping them to hide income in order to avoid taxes. Does that make him a devil ... no. Does that qualify him for expert status and POTUS economic growth of country on the upswing ... definite NO! That is all he has (what he boasts about with no record) ... and it is an epic failure.

Romney is a career candidate after earning hundreds of millions by taking slices of a pie from wealthy investors/venture capitalists who took their money and jobs and got the hell out.

I am happy with my middle 6 figure income in healthcare and I am not jealous of him. He and his family seem to enjoy their fancy life of uber wealth and toys and houses and status.

Yet ... there is nothing about his wealth that qualifies him by his record for improving an economy ... that the last GOP POTUS plummeted. Economic growth is slow yet upward returning and I see it all around.

Romney has spouted off and boasted everyday about his personal accumulation and economic know it all based on his own financial success. That alone should motivate him to open and be transparent on his IRS filings and he is lobbing mud at his opponent who took an economy taking a nose dive and leveled the plane and is making upward progress.

I suspect Romney has years he paid little to no tax and questionable investments in companies that conservatives would detest and the ones who are holding their nose to vote for him might not bother if that was revealed.

His returns would repel the conservative base and those working Americans who play by the rules would be repulsed.



I never paid much attention to Reid ... yet his bold move put the spot light on Romney's hidden past and Reid is a former boxer and had the balls to call Romney out and I admire him for it. I think I know who his source is and his source is republican and has nothing to do with the Obama campaign. In fact, his source is connected to one of the few republicans that could have had a chance to win this election.

Romney is weak ... a pretty boy (former bully) who life was easy and because he was never challenged because his money and status put him around people who simply nodded yes leaving Romney to believe in his own distorted reality.

Obama is the better man ... resolute intellect, patience and many successes under his belt.

Newt Gingrich even commented it is unprecedented for a candidate for POTUS to hide millions in foreign countries and have helped foreign corporations earn American dollars and then to help shield them from paying taxes for using our system.

Harry Reid ... I never paid much attention to him to him before yet now except for voting records on issues.

Harry Reid ... is badass! He has the rich boy bully by the balls in this one and now Romney has moved to a "war on religion" and is close mouthed on his boasting of financial know it all.

Of course he did not pay taxes. Why would he pay taxes in a tax free country?


No as a whole I bet he paid about 1.5% taxes.
So say he has 90% of assests in tax free places. That means he paid 1.5% taxes over all. (assuming 15% USA rate for mega rich)

You will also remember that he transfered, with no USA inheritance taxes to his kids. $250 million.
(special stock exemption)


From taxation law site. Or any other source you look at. same thing. ZERO TAXES on the mega rich.
"For stocks, there is no capital gains tax, which makes Grand Cayman Island attractive for investors. No matter how much you earn on an investment, you do not owe any taxes to the government. The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority oversees all hedge funds, investments, corporate governance activities, and structured finance activities in the island."

Sarcogito said:

I doubt it. I don't think the IRS would let that slide.

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IRS is not the point. POINT is his tax rate on over all assets. Most are in ZERO tax places like the caymans.

jamesrage said:

Liberals pushing the idea that Romney show should his tax forms and did not pay taxes are no different than the birther tards claiming Obama should show his 'real' birth certificate and that he is not a natural born citizen.

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Of course he paid no taxes.
Why would he pay taxes in zero tax caymans and swissa ccounts?

rathi said:

It is quite unlikely that Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. His high income and high profile make it very difficult for any kind of tax evasion to avoid notice. There is no actual evidence that Romney did anything but pay whatever taxes are required by law. I would like him to release his tax forms as a measure of transparency, but Reid's baseless accusations and demands are without merit.

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He paid no taxes on USA inheritance for his kids. $250 mil tax free.

And he paid no taxes on over seas assets. So his over all rate would be very very low, say 1-2%.

DA60 said:

Reid is so dense.

By making heresay accusations he is giving Romney an out/distraction from all the tax talk by demanding Reid 'put up or shut up'.

I assume Reid has squat (he is such a dumbass, after all) - so he will have to shut up.

This will make the dems look foolish and puts Romney in a better light - without doing anything.

Unless Reid has rock solid evidence against Romney, I would imagine Obama is privately none to pleased with him right now.

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how did reid, who entered "public service" with a lower middle class net worth and who has only had public service salaries become worth millions?