Donald Trump

'An Ego Thing': Ex-IRS Official Says Trump's Taxes May Reveal Lower Income

A former head of the IRS is calling on Donald Trump to release his tax returns, saying there is no legitimate reason to withhold them.

"When Americans file their tax returns each year, they declare under penalty of perjury that to best of their knowledge they are true, correct and complete," says Mark Everson, who served as IRS Commissioner during the Bush Administration. "Trump either stands by his returns - which he previously promised to release - or he doesn't." 

But several tax lawyers have said that withholding such information during an audit is prudent, noting that they would advise him to do the "very same thing."

Another former senior IRS official, who requested anonymity to discuss the issue, said Trump's reluctance could be "an ego thing about his wealth," where the taxes suggest his yearly income may be lower than the real estate mogul wants to acknowledge.

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