Why Presidential Candidate Tax Returns Don’t Matter

Earlier this week, Mitt Romney’s campaign claimed to have released his final 2011 tax returns and a summary of the past 20 years of returns.  This is a farce, and to be honest, so are Obama’s tax records.  Here is why.

First, regardless of investments, money being made from payroll, money being made from business ventures or any other form of income, the adjusted income of both Romney and Obama are nowhere near the “middle class” that both candidates purport to know and support.  The fact is, the “average” income per household in the US is $51,914 NOT 6 figures, NOT 7 figures, 5 figures.  Granted, that is an average, which means that obviously there are people that make more and that make less who make up the middle class.  Still, the majority of people in the US make a 5-figure income.  So, it is probably hard for affluent persons such as Obama and Romney to understand anything of the plight of the average US person.

Secondly, taxes can easily be amended.  It doesn’t matter what is “reported” on the initial 1040 form.  Any individual can go back and amend their return without having much recourse to the general public in regard to it.  If a person files an income of $70,000 with $7,000 in deductions and then submits an amended one for $89,000 with $15,000 deductions, but only release the original one, what does it matter?  The public still doesn’t know the true amounts and never will.

Third, taxes can be manipulated.  Romney’s lawyer admitted that the taxes were “made to fit” the 13% tax claim that Romney’s campaign made.  There are more tax loopholes than there are holes in a piece of Swiss Cheese.  If Romney or Obama wanted to hid how much money they really had, or avoid paying taxes, they could easily do so.  They have accountants that make thousands of dollars, well-versed in tax law and capable of hiding money from the government.  The reality of the situation is, the average American will never be able to have that kind of power and will never truly be able to find where the money is going from our political leaders.  The rich can afford to hid their wealth.

So, why should it matter to the average American who has what in their tax returns?  The chances are, that the information isn’t accurate anyway and that nobody will be able to trace down the wealth of these candidates even with the tax returns.  It is futile.  Perhaps we should simply focus on what the candidates say and do.  Perhaps we should try to see through the lies of the campaign videos and media spin.  Perhaps we should stop being sheep and learn to think instead of letting others do it for us.