Has anybody ASKED the IRS if a person under audit is obligated to not give out his tax returns?

[Ken Burch]

Seems like it would be worth a call to their 800 number to find out. If nobody posts an answer here by Friday AM, I'll call the IRS myself and post what they tell me.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

1. Too bad someone from the IRS wouldn't leak Trump's returns

The skeezer.

[jcgoldie]

2. It has been established

The IRS has said that an audit would have no bearing on whether he releases them or not. He doesn't release them because he chooses not to... the audit BS is just an excuse.

[lapfog_1]

4. asked and answered

by many tax experts and at least once by an IRS manager.

No burden to keep the tax returns secret whether under audit or not.

[Cyberologist]

5. Fred Goldberg, former IRS commissioner says he can release his reports.

"As a former IRS commissioner and practicing tax lawyer, I understand it may be inconvenient for Trump to release his tax returns but we all know -- and the IRS has confirmed -- that nothing prevents any of us from releasing our tax returns any time we want."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/02/26/donald-trump-internal-revenue-service-audits/80996086/

[Travis_0004]

6. There is no law preventing releasing the returns

I'm a accountant. I would advise my clients not to never release their returns during an audit. From a tax perspective there is nothing to gain and possible downsides.

I talked to my friend (tax attorney), and he said the same thing. No lawyer would ever advise their client to release their returns. There is nothing to gain from an audit perspective.

Obviously he is running for president. I'm not saying it doesn't matter on the campaign trail, but Donalds lawyers and accounts are not there to help him run for president, they are there to give him tax advise.

If I was Trump's accountant, and his campaign manager wanted to release them, I would let Donald know he is legally allowed to release them, but I advise against it. What he does at that point is up to him.

[Skittles]

7. no need to ask

the answer is no

Donald won't release his returns because he knows it would turn off even a lot of his rabid base

[jberryhill]

8. There is no need to ask the IRS

Anyone can provide anyone else a copy of their tax returns at any time.

Simply because they are under audit does not prevent anyone from publishing them.