Trump Tax-Return Report Fuels Democrats’ Drive to Tax the Rich

President Trump’s apparently minuscule tax payments are pumping new energy into Democrats’ plans to raise taxes on rich people and beef up the Internal Revenue Service.

But raising tax rates wouldn’t necessarily make the president or others in similar situations pay more, because he reportedly claimed unusually large business losses to lower his taxable income. And Mr. Trump’s tax situation doesn’t automatically yield a list of tax breaks to be eliminated, because he seems to be making aggressive use of common deductions that help many businesses.

Mr. Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and no taxes for many other recent years, according to a report by the New York Times. That result stemmed from money-losing businesses, various tax credits and questionable deductions, according to the Times. The president has derided the report as fake news and says he has paid millions of dollars in taxes, but he has provided no documentation or details. The Times report couldn't be independently verified, and Republicans are seeking government investigations into the disclosure.