Donald Trump has said he used U.S. tax laws “brilliantly” to protect his companies and his employees - and possibly legally avoid paying income taxes for two decades - but his accountant says he did all the work.
Donald Trump played no part in preparing the 1995 returns that suggest he filed a nearly $1 billion loss that helped him avoid paying federal taxes, his former accountant told Inside Edition.
“I did all the tax preparation, he never saw the product until it was presented to him for his signature,” Jack Mitnick, 80, replied when asked how involved Trump was in his tax preparations. “I’m the one who did all the work.”
The Florida-based retiree verified the authenticity of documents that were anonymously mailed to the New York Times, telling the show that the “face pages look authentic.” Unlike every other presidential contender since Richard Nixon, Trump has refused to release his tax returns.
Mitnick’s decision to talk to the press has alarmed accountants and an attorney who represents accounting firms, who note that laws and ethics codes generally prohibit accountants from breaching client confidentiality.
Mitnick kept mum on one account. Asked who would be voting for in November, he told Inside Edition: “That’s confidential.”
Trump has sought to turn the discovery of the tax documents to his benefit, insisting on the campaign trail that he was acting to protect his company and his employees.