Sep 29, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Biden releases 2019 tax returns ahead of debate

Alexi McCammond

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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Biden releases 2019 tax returns ahead of debate

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