Biden Brings Back Tradition Of Showing Tax Returns

US President Joe Biden highlighted his support for Israel while emphasizing clear concern over violence in separate phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas

As the 2020 tax season comes to a close, Joe Biden has announced his intention to revive the tradition of presidents publicly releasing their tax returns. The practice had been ignored under Donald Trump, who repeatedly the dubious excuse of an ongoing audit to avoid putting his finances in the public sphere.

The announcement came through White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who told reporters Monday to “stay tuned” for the release.

While the timing wasn’t specified, Psaki said the information could be released as early as Monday.

Biden released his 2019 tax information while running for office. They showed that he and Jill Biden had an adjusted gross income of $985,000, with $300,000 paid in federal taxes.

Psaki made veiled allusions to former President Trump during her announcement, saying that Biden plans to "continue to release the president's tax returns as should be expected of all presidents."

The tradition dates back to the Watergate scandal, with Trump being the only president since to refuse to release his returns. The IRS says that every president and vice president is guaranteed one audit per tax season.

Tax Day, which is usually April 15 but was moved to May 17 in 2021, is shaping up to be more interesting than the name suggests. In addition to the release of Biden’s returns, the occasion is being marked by a crowd of millionaires picketing the homes of Jeff Bezos with billboards to agitate for higher taxes of corporations and the ultra-wealthy.

The deadline to file taxes is typically much earlier in the year, but the IRS opted to give citizens more time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some places in the South have been given even more leeway after the winter’s devastating storms.