Sep 29, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Biden releases 2019 tax returns ahead of debate

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Joe Biden's campaign released his 2019 tax returns on Tuesday, showing that he and his wife, Jill, paid nearly $300,000 in federal taxes last year.

Why it matters: The release, timed just hours before the first presidential debate, comes days after a bombshell New York Times report said that President Trump paid only $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017. Biden's team is hoping to make the tax contrast a sticking point during their showdown tonight.

  • The campaign also released 2019 tax returns for Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and her husband, Doug Emhoff.
  • Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told reporters on a call that this marks 22 years of publicly available tax returns for Biden and 16 years for Harris.
  • Bedingfield said the release reflects Biden's commitment to "honesty and transparency" and that the campaign's message to Trump is simple: "Mr. President, release your tax returns, or shut up."

Read Biden's tax return

Read Harris' tax return

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