Joe Biden, Kamala Harris release tax return, restoring tradition Trump broke

U.S. President Joe Biden reported a drop in gross income compared to 2019.

May 18, 2021 07:17 am | Updated 07:53 am IST - Washington

U.S. President Joe Biden and Jill Biden

U.S. President Joe Biden and Jill Biden

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday released their tax returns, according to which in 2020, she had an income of more than $1 million as compared to his $607,336.

The President and the First Lady, Jill, a teacher, filed their income tax return jointly and reported federal adjusted gross income of $607,336, down from $985,223 in 2019. The first couple paid $157,414 in federal income tax and their 2020 effective federal income tax rate is 25.9%, the White House said.

On the other hand, the Vice President and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff reported federal adjusted gross income of $1,695,225. They paid $621,893 in federal income tax, amounting to a 2020 effective federal income tax rate of 36.7%. They also paid $125,004 in California income tax. The Second Gentleman paid $56,997 in District of Columbia income tax. They contributed $27,006 to charity in 2020.

According to the White House, the President and the First Lady also reported donating $30,704 – or about 5.1% of their total income – to 10 different charities. The largest reported gift to charity was $10,000 to the Beau Biden Foundation, a public charity dedicated to ensuring that all children are free from the threat of abuse.

The President and the First Lady also released their Delaware income tax return and reported paying $28,794 in Delaware income tax. The First Lady also released her Virginia income tax return and reported paying $443 in Virginia income tax.

As required by law, the President and Vice President also released their public financial disclosure reports. The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests. The public filing system serves to prevent financial conflicts of interest by providing for a systematic review of the finances of government officials.

Former President Donald Trump, who had long sought to keep his personal financial records secret, had repeatedly refused to release his tax returns, claiming multiple times that he was not able to as he was being audited by the Internal Revenue Service, even as the agency claimed he was free to do so.

“Those finances are set forth in annual disclosures, which are reviewed and certified by the independent Office of Government Ethics. Neither the President nor the Vice President have any conflicts of interest,” the White House said.

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