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[PdotMichael]

1995? Just another example of good business suffering bad times through the Clinton regime.

Do we really want another Clinton?

 

[SpeedySwaf]

I don't think you're reading this right. He filed a loss of $916M thus making him exempt from taxes for 18 years.

He didn't break any laws here. This is (or at least was, in 1995) the tax law.

So... what? This actually isn't news. He hasn't paid taxes because he hasn't been required to, by law, due to the loss he filed in 1995.

It's not a matter of whether or not it's illegal. It's the fact that:

1. He somehow lost nearly a billion in '95, despite always bragging about his business sense.
2. People in general don't like it when someone much, much wealthier is able to avoid taxes, regardless if it's legal or not.

EDIT: Am I correct to assume that the "avoid paying taxes for 18 years" is merely a possibility and not a certainty at this point? If so, I wonder if this is also another way of trying to get him to show his more recent tax returns to prove otherwise.

 

[ThLunarian]

Of course he won't go to jail. He didn't break any laws. But, like, the public is really, really picky about some things. And politicians and taxes are one of those things.

I also think we need to define "take him down" a bit, because, like, I feel there's this expectation that we can find the right thing to nail him with and he'll get 30% of the vote. He's going to get his 40% of supporters no matter what. These dead enders will stay with him forever.

What we have to do is make him unelectable to that 5-10% of the soft electorate in the middle. Those people, by and large, are college educated white voters. And this type of thing? They hate it. A lot.

This is weird to me and hard to adjust to because I actually studied accounting and tax in college so this isn't a big deal to me. But yeah I guess you're right that this might look much worse to people who haven't studied that stuff

 

[jon bones]

Is Trump a politician? I mean he has the skillset but I'd toss him in the category of an outsider.

you want it to be one way

but it's the other way

 

[djplaeskool]

I don't think you're reading this right. He filed a loss of $916M thus making him exempt from taxes for 18 years.

He didn't break any laws here. This is (or at least was, in 1995) the tax law.

So... what? This actually isn't news. He hasn't paid taxes because he hasn't been required to, by law, due to the loss he filed in 1995.

This only makes it more interesting what his documents over those following 20 years show. No one strategically loses nearly a billion dollars.

 

[User 463088]

This is weird to me and hard to adjust to because I actually studied accounting and tax in college so this isn't a big deal to me. But yeah I guess you're right that this might look much worse to people who haven't studied that stuff

Exactly. It's one of those "technically not illegal" things that just look terrible. (Ugh I hate the term optics...) It's the principle of the thing. It's like what Hillary said: this is 18 years of not paying for troops, not paying for education, not paying for healthcare. It's something people don't want in their President.

Then you tie in the fact that he wants to lower taxes on the rich, and it looks even worse.

 

[Deku Tree]

At Monday night’s presidential debate, Clinton suggested Trump was perhaps refusing to publicly disclose his tax documents because he had not paid federal taxes.

“That makes me smart,” Trump replied

Statements like that are seen in a new light in the context of this report.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

 

[Joe]

$1.4 billion dollar loss in 1995 when adjusted for inflation.

 

[tedrotheredro]

$1.4 billion dollar loss in 1995 when adjusted for inflation.

No wonder someone kept a copy of it. That has to be one of the largest individual tax losses in history?

 

[sleepykyo]

This is big, right?

Eh, I think tax avoidance is legal. It is tax evasion that is illegal.

 

[Yoda]

I think avoiding taxes is the issue IMO. Unless you are speaking about him losing support from his zombies. His opponent showed her taxes and not only that, paid her fair share - if I'm not mistaking. People who can see through his lies, know he isn't a smart businessman. A lot of his followers know as well.

Edit: Also this

It's generally accept plutocrats have an unfair deal when it comes to taxes (capital gains vs. regular income). I really don't see not paying taxes coming as a surprise to anyone. The magnitude of that loss on the other-hand, well it's just bewildering someone can squander that much money.

In short skimping on taxes is an inditement on someone's moral code at best (I doubt even his most fervent supporters think he has one).

Losing a billion dollars in a single year in a low margin industry (all the industries he operates in) is an indictment on his managerial abilities (which really don't exist).

 

[royalan]

It's not a matter of whether or not it's illegal. It's the fact that:

1. He somehow lost nearly a billion in '95, despite always bragging about his business sense.
2. People in general don't like it when someone much, much wealthier is able to avoid taxes, regardless if it's legal or not.

EDIT: Am I correct to assume that the "avoid paying taxes for 18 years" is merely a possibility and not a certainty at this point? If so, I wonder if this is also another way of trying to get him to show his more recent tax returns to prove otherwise.

Exactly.

Let me see if I can illustrate what this is going to do to Trump's mental state...



They're all gonna laugh at you!

They're all gonna laugh at you!

They're all gonna laugh at you!

They're all gonna laugh at you!

 

[Joe]

No wonder someone kept a copy of it. That has to be one of the largest individual tax losses in history?

The accountants computer software at the time couldn't handle a 9 digit loss, only 7 digits. He had to put it through a typewriter afterwards and manually type in the last 2 digits.

 

[giga]

this -> https://twitter.com/BCAppelbaum/status/782420583451545601

 

[tmarg]

Regardless of whether or not it was legal, being exempt from paying taxes for two decades because you are one of the worst businessmen in history is kind of a bad look.

Particularly if you are running for president based on your business accumin.

 

[akileese]

It's not a matter of whether or not it's illegal. It's the fact that:

1. He somehow lost nearly a billion in '95, despite always bragging about his business sense.
2. People in general don't like it when someone much, much wealthier is able to avoid taxes, regardless if it's legal or not.

EDIT: Am I correct to assume that the "avoid paying taxes for 18 years" is merely a possibility and not a certainty at this point? If so, I wonder if this is also another way of trying to get him to show his more recent tax returns to prove otherwise.

That is a fucking staggering amount of money. Adjusted for inflation, it means he lost over 1.5B USD in 2016 value. As others have said, no one willingly loses that much money as a strategic advantage

 

[Stinkles]

Gif would make more sense if it were a chicken.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

lol @ people saying "eh, what's the big deal?"

can you imagine if it came out that clinton hadn't paid taxes in 20 years?

 

[RDreamer]

Sad!

 

[Byakuya769]

you want it to be one way

but it's the other way

Hahahaha. Well done.

 

[Aselith]

Gaining a billion dollars? That's not cool.

You know what's cool? Losing a billion dollars.

 

[SpeedySwaf]

lol @ people saying "eh, what's the big deal?"

can you imagine if it came out that clinton hadn't paid taxes in 20 years?

To be fair, I don't think it's confirmed he hasn't paid taxes for that long? I think it's still just something one could potentially do in that situation. (Unless the article/tax documents say otherwise.)

But if it came out Hillary had lost even a fraction of that once, I don't doubt for a second they'd drag her through the coals over it.

EDIT: Now the top trending hashtag. Wonder how long that'll last?

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

People in here really underestimate how much the media has wanted his taxes.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

lol @ people saying "eh, what's the big deal?"

can you imagine if it came out that clinton hadn't paid taxes in 20 years?

We're beyond looking at the election like that. If Hilary did or said even a fraction of what Trump has, she would've been publicly stoned and burned at the stake. Like, literally. Trump getting away with all of his garbage for the last 2 years has only brought to light what we all already knew about Murrica.

 

[Already Torn]

People in here really underestimate how much the media has wanted his taxes.

Don't know why Clinton campaign is mentioned so many times. Do they think they'll lose readers if they mention the NYT?

 

[ColdDeckEd]

To be fair, I don't think it's confirmed he hasn't paid taxes for that long? I think it's still just something one could potentially do in that situation. (Unless the article/tax documents say otherwise.)

But if it came out Hillary had lost even a fraction of that once, I don't doubt for a second they'd drag her through the coals over it.

EDIT: Now the top trending hashtag. Wonder how long that'll last?

Him not releasing his tax returns confirms it in my mind.

 

[FrenchMovieTheme]

To be fair, I don't think it's confirmed he hasn't paid taxes for that long? I think it's still just something one could potentially do in that situation. (Unless the article/tax documents say otherwise.)

But if it came out Hillary had lost even a fraction of that once, I don't doubt for a second they'd drag her through the coals over it.

EDIT: Now the top trending hashtag. Wonder how long that'll last?

the fact that he openly admitted not paying taxes is a smart business move a few days ago tells me it is very likely he hasn't paid taxes

 

[rpg_fan]

Preachers have been preaching the prosperity doctrine for decades. Trump is preaching the same message to the same people. What will those people think if they see that Trump isn't actually prosperous?

 

[Already Torn]

Preachers have been preaching the prosperity doctrine for decades. Trump is preaching the same message to the same people. What will those people think if they see that Trump isn't actually prosperous?

"This is Hillary'a fault"

 

[wumster3000]

We're beyond looking at the election like that. If Hilary did or said even a fraction of what Trump has, she would've been publicly stoned and burned at the stake. Like, literally. Trump's getting away with all of his garbage for the last 2 years has only brought to light what we all already knew about Murrica.

You are being too nice. They would cut her ears off and plucked her eyes out before these events.

 

[Aselith]

Preachers have been preaching the prosperity doctrine for decades. Trump is preaching the same message to the same people. What will those people think if they see that Trump isn't actually prosperous?

"At least he didn't hide 30,000 emails"

 

[Your Entertainer]

lol @ people saying "eh, what's the big deal?"

can you imagine if it came out that clinton hadn't paid taxes in 20 years?

Can you imagine if even one dumb thing Trump does per week was done by Clinton or pretty much any other person running for President ever?

It's blatantly obvious that Trump is just not held to the same standard, period. His supporters don't give a shit and voters who are "on the fence" (as numbskulled of a concept here as that is) just don't seem to care. The media is skirting over it all the while to make this a tighter contest.

I'm like completely desensitized to Trump saying dumb shit. It's a daily occurance. His ideas and what he represents are beyond stupid and it's all but obvious at this point.

 

[SpeedySwaf]

Him not releasing his tax returns confirms it in my mind.

Which circles back to a possibility I raised: this is going to be used a leverage to get him to release his other tax returns. The possibility he had avoided taxes for almost two decades is something they'll want to keep in the public mind, and he's either going to keep refusing or eventually release them.

...I'm a little pessimistic, so I think there's always a chance that his recent tax returns aren't out of the ordinary (we raised a hoopla over Romeny's which didn't pan out to much), but even if that happens, they've still got the "temperament" angle to go with.

 

[kess]

Preachers have been preaching the prosperity doctrine for decades. Trump is preaching the same message to the same people. What will those people think if they see that Trump isn't actually prosperous?

But, but, but, big buildings with big gold lettering

 

[User 463088]

lol @ people saying "eh, what's the big deal?"

can you imagine if it came out that clinton hadn't paid taxes in 20 years?

If Hillary had used an expired 10c off coupon, we'd have had her tried as a witch.

 

[Dan]

The best part is going to be the crazy internal drama as everyone around Trump tries to bury someone else while covering their own asses. They're already paranoid as fuck, now there could be a mole among them!

 

[Prompto]

$1.4 billion dollar loss in 1995 when adjusted for inflation.

Holy shit. How is that even possible to lose that much in a year?

 

[Aselith]

Holy shit. How is that even possible to lose that much in a year?

Lifelike toupees don't pay for themselves.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Don't know why Clinton campaign is mentioned so many times. Do they think they'll lose readers if they mention the NYT?

That is CNN's way of always trying to pretend that everything is gray in any presidential race. If they said "NYT report shows Trump declared 900m loss in 1995" it would make it unfavorable to Trump, so instead they say "Clinton team jumps on report".

 

[Byakuya769]

Even main story on Fox News' website. Lol, Donald.

 

[Piecake]

I think this will have good staying power. It hurts Trump's narrative about himself, is a simple story, and it has a moral component as well. Moreover, Trump is going to keep this story alive by constantly calling it a lie and repeating how successful he is.

Those other business stories likely had some trouble because they are rather complicated to talk about and you lacked that moral component, but for this all you need to show his tax returns, say this happened as a result of his failed Casinos, and likely hasnt paid taxes since.

 

[HTupolev]

Holy shit. How is that even possible to lose that much in a year?

Being a good businessman.

 

[BigDes]

Holy shit. How is that even possible to lose that much in a year?

Being a bumbling orange fuckwit helps

 

[Aselith]

Being a bumbling orange fuckwit helps

Wrong!

 

[Niks]

This is big.
Tremendous even. Let me tell you, its huge!

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

I think this will have good staying power. It hurts Trump's narrative about himself, is a simple story, and it has a moral component as well. Moreover, Trump is going to keep this story alive by constantly calling it a lie and repeating how successful he is.

Those other business stories likely had some trouble because they are rather complicated to talk about and you lacked that moral component, but for this all you need to show his tax returns, say this happened as a result of his failed Casinos, and likely hasnt paid taxes since.

Not to mention he's going to lose his damn mind over it. Nothing pisses him off more than negative stories about his business.

 

[Angelus Errare]

This will do nothing to Trump. The only way his supporters are leaving him is if he kills a white supremacist blonde hair blue eyed girl who wears pro police/military/reagan/Jesus attire on national TV.

Even then it's iffy at best.

 

[giga]

 

[MetatronM]

I don't think you're reading this right. He filed a loss of $916M thus making him exempt from taxes for 18 years.

He didn't break any laws here. This is (or at least was, in 1995) the tax law.

So... what? This actually isn't news. He hasn't paid taxes because he hasn't been required to, by law, due to the loss he filed in 1995.

The man is so bad at business that he lost nearly a billion dollars in one single year. His entire campaign is based on the "fact" that he's an unbelievably talented and successful businessman. It's huge news. The fact that most of his supporters will still just hand wave it away doesn't change that.