Joe Biden releases tax returns ahead of US election debate with Donald Trump, showing he paid US$300,000
- ‘Mr President, release your tax returns or shut up,’ says Democratic candidate’s campaign in move to capitalise on damaging report about rival’s finances
- Documents for Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, also were released
Hours before his first debate with US President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday released his 2019 tax returns and his campaign called on Trump, who has come under fire for not releasing his returns, to do the same.
Biden, due to share the stage with Trump on Tuesday evening in Cleveland, took the step two days after The New York Times reported that Trump had paid just US$750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 – and none in 10 of the previous 15 years. Trump had long sought to keep his personal financial records secret.
Biden’s taxes showed that he and his wife Jill paid more than US$346,000 in federal taxes and other payments for 2019 on an income of nearly US$985,000 before seeking a refund of nearly US$47,000 they said they had overpaid the government.
The 2019 tax returns for Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, also were released.
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Bombshell New York Times report claims Trump hasn’t paid income tax for ‘10 of the past 15 years’
“This is a historic level of transparency meant to give the American people faith once again that their leaders will look out for them and not their own bottom lines,” Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, said on a call with reporters.