Trump May Have Avoided Income Taxes For Almost Two Decades

Published October 3, 2016 at 1:06 PM EDT

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This June 7, 1995, file photo shows real estate magnate Donald Trump posing for photos above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after taking his flagship Trump Plaza Casino public in New York City. Trump's business losses in 1995 were so large that they could have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for as many as 18 years, according to records obtained by The New York Times. (Kathy Willens/AP)

Over the weekend, the New York Times published parts of Donald Trump’s 1995 tax returns that showed the Republican nominee declaring a $916 million loss.

That means he could’ve leveraged that loss to avoid paying income taxes for the next 18 years.

While allies of Trump are hailing him a business “genius,” many people are displeased with Trump’s business practices and are raising the argument that the U.S. tax code is too easy on the wealthy.

NPR’s lead politics editor Domenico Montanaro joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss the latest on Trump’s tax returns and what they could mean for his campaign for the White House.

Guest

Domenico Montanaro, NPR’s lead political editor. He tweets @DomenicoNPR.