Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) is calling on IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig to testify after the New York Times published a report on President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
According to the report, Trump only paid $750 in income tax in 2016 and 2017 and he did not pay income tax for 10 out of the past 15 years.
“Left unaddressed by your agency, the revelations of Mr. Trump’s abuse and malfeasance threaten public confidence in the IRS and the very legitimacy of our Federal tax system,” Pascrell wrote.
He argued what Americans are taking away from the report is “our Federal tax system is stacked against the average American and being gamed by bad actors like Mr. Trump.”
Pascrell noted former President Jimmy Carter determined he did not owe taxes in 1976, but chose to make a voluntary payment of $6,000.
He argued it is the responsibility of the IRS to hold tax payers accountable.
“As Commissioner of the IRS, you must ensure that our tax system is unshakably supported by rigorous enforcement and that all taxpayers, including public officials, comply with the tax laws,” Pascrell wrote.
For my first action chairing the @WaysMeansCmte Oversight subcommittee I’ve called the head the IRS to testify before us asap about donald trump’s lifetime of tax cheating and the IRS’s failures. pic.twitter.com/YlORSzNb61
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) September 30, 2020
He continued, “You must foster trust and confidence in our tax system and tax administration. However, I fear the reported information undermines Americans’ confidence in our tax system.”
Pascrell urged the IRS to fulfill the committee’s request for the president’s business and personal tax returns.
He claimed the Treasury Department has been holding Trump’s tax returns from the committee illegally for the last 540 days.
Pascrell requested Rettig appear before the committee in October.
The focus of the hearing will be the general oversight of IRS operations with a focus on tax compliance, including that of the report on Trump’s tax returns, distribution of Economic Impact Payments, backlogs, and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.