Mitt Romney Will 'Probably' Release Tax Returns

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney moved a step closer to releasing his tax returns during Monday's debate, saying he would "probably" do it around April if he becomes the nominee.

"I looked at what has been done in campaigns in the past with Sen. McCain and President George W. Bush and others," he said. "They have tended to release tax records in April or tax season. I hadn't planned on releasing tax records, because the law requires us to release all of our assets -- all of the things we own -- that I've already released. It's a pretty full disclosure."

"But you know, if that's been the tradition, I'm not opposed to doing that," he added. "Time will tell. But I anticipate that most likely I am going to get asked to do that around the April time period and I'll keep that open."

When asked again whether he was agreeing to release them, Romney replied, "I think I've heard enough from folks saying, 'Look, let's see your tax records.' I have nothing in them that suggests there's any problem, and I'm happy to do so. I sort of feel like we are showing a lot of exposure at this point. And if I become our nominee, and what's happened in history is people have released them in about April of the coming year and that's probably what I would do."

Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry have all called on Romney to release his tax returns, as has former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who released her records.

Comments

[brotherez]

06:27 AM on 01/18/2012

Romney can't release his tax returns! His accountants haven't had enough time to make it look like he pays his fair share!

[IHateTheGOP]

11:34 PM on 01/17/2012

Hey Rmoney, release the records from when you were governor of Mass too. Now boy!

[show me the money]

05:21 PM on 01/17/2012

April will be a new tax return and he won't use the loopholes he usually does. He doesn't want us to see the past years because he paid little or no tax.

[gmb007]

02:03 PM on 01/17/2012

ROMNEY (whispering to his aide when he thought the mic was off): How many bottles of Wite-Out do my accountants and lawyer need for 185 pages of tax returns?

[gmb007]

01:57 PM on 01/17/2012

ROMNEY: Disclose my tax returns? Hah! What do I look like, a common plebe? Kings...um, uh...I mean, Presidents don’t need to disclose anything. Executive privilege and CEO immunity...or something like that. Talk to my attorney.

[gmb007]

01:55 PM on 01/17/2012

BAIN will be Romney's bane.

[gmb007]

01:54 PM on 01/17/2012

Why, Mittens, you look scared.

All that dodging and spluttering and hemming and hawing.

Whatcha hidin'?

[gmb007]

01:50 PM on 01/17/2012

There’s NO way Romney could remain a GOP contender if he released his tax records. He will not release them - count on it.

[gmb007]

12:39 PM on 01/17/2012

Romney reminds me of Leona Helmsley’s famous quote “Only the little people pay taxes.”

Only the little people are forced to make full financial disclosure.

[too young but old enough]

12:36 PM on 01/17/2012

He can't give in and release his taxes now. Not releasing his taxes is the only issue that he's been consistent on.

[Yorksgal]

12:34 PM on 01/17/2012

Yadah, yadah, yadah - I am working with my accountants on how to sanitize my tax statements and my real worth stays hidden.

[stbritt]

12:33 PM on 01/17/2012

Who cares about his 2011 returns? The telling info on Romney's perspective regarding wealth would be on the unexpurgated 2010 returns. Would love to compare the 2010 returns with the 'for public release' 2011 returns. Imagine the flip-flops he'll be making to make himself look more 'in touch'! He'll probably even work it so that he'll PAY some taxes in '11!

[gmb007]

12:31 PM on 01/17/2012

So, Mr. Full-Disclosure-Nothing-to-Hide-Mittens says we MIGHT get to see this year’s tax return (not previous years) - IF he’s nominated.

Sounds like straight-up extortion to me (with his fingers crossed behind his back).

We will never see any of his tax returns - GUARANTEED.

They would end his political career.

[apdg]

12:18 PM on 01/17/2012

"But I anticipate that most likely I am going to get asked to do that around the April time period and I'll keep that open.", "that's probably what I'll do."
I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. These "most likely" and "probably" comments are his way of keeping a door open so he can run all while saying "I never said I'd definitely do it...".

[Stacy Harris]

12:15 PM on 01/17/2012

Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate finally admitted that the effective tax rate he has been paying for the last several years is likely below that of middle-class workers, which would also include military service members.

[show me the money]

06:02 PM on 01/17/2012

He and others like him get corporate welfare because they have a loophole in the tax code that taxes capital gains at 15%. Private equity (Baine) execs like him are "paid" under capital gains instead of regular income explaining to the IRS they weren't drawing a salary but instead were investors reaping the rewards of risk taking. Any investments that went belly up and led to bankruptcy and mass layoffs are counted against those earnings which amounts to a tax subsidy for failed projects in essence leaving them to pay little or no taxes, possibly recieving refunds. Martin Luther King said "whenever government provides opportunities for rich people they call it "subsidies" whever it is for the poor, they call it "welfare".

[brotherez]

06:29 AM on 01/18/2012

Excellent quote! F & F.