Hillary Clinton made a lot of money a year ago as did her husband, former President Bill Clinton, according to their 2015 tax return released Friday. They gave 9.8 percent of their adjusted gross income to charity.
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Friday’s release adds to a prior disclosure of tax returns spanning the years 1992 to 2014, released during the years when Bill Clinton was president and when Hillary Clinton ran for president the first time, in 2008.
In releasing the return – along with 10 years of tax information for her running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine – Clinton’s campaign once again tried to create a contrast between her and Trump over transparency in their personal finances. There are many reasons why Donald Trump won’t release his tax returns, but the common thread through them all is that his tax returns will reveal that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is built on a mountain of lies. “What is he trying to hide?” But legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett earlier this month challenged the Republican presidential nominee to discuss their tax returns publicly.
The release is part of an effort to undercut Mr Trump’s character by questioning the businessman’s record.
But Clinton’s own returns bring her some unwanted attention too, notably to her and her husband’s extraordinary income, derived primarily through speaking fees. They also donated just over $1 million to charity.
In Florida, Clinton is leading Trump by 5 points among registered voters, 44 to 39 respectively.
The filing shows that the Clintons paid a federal tax rate of 34.2 per cent.
The Kaines between 2006 and 2015 paid a combined federal, state and local effective tax rate between 18.7 percent and 29.1 percent. Their adjusted gross income that year – almost $21 million – dwarfs their 2015 earnings.
Her campaign tweeted Friday afternoon that Trump “might be” paying $0 in taxes.
“Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns”, said communications director Jennifer Palmieri.
While they are not obliged to by law, it is customary for U.S. presidential candidates to make their tax returns public. The couple earned more than $10m in 2015, the documents say.
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Over the course of their careers the Clintons have published all of their tax returns since 1977. Farenthold has been unable to find proof that Donald Trump gave the million that he promised to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Their income came from sources that included the couple’s books and speeches as well as Bill Clinton’s consulting work.
