Should federal income tax returns be public?

Politics
1

In Norway personal income tax returns are public documents:

In the US real estate sales and assessments are normally public to assure that real estate taxes are collected fairly.

Should similar rules apply to federal income taxes?

An argument in favor of public tax returns is that they would help to assure that people are correctly reporting income. Also illegal discrimination in salaries would be much more obvious.

Should income be public in a way similar to that of real estate transactions?

Or is the need for privacy greater for income than for real estate?

2

People here are funny about money stuff. It’s weird, imo.

H’s salary is public since he works for the government. They even print the link to the data base in my local newspaper.

3

I would personally be opposed to any document with my social security number on it being made public.

1 Like
4

Yes, salaries of government workers are public:

Under open government transparency guidelines, information on public employees (including those employed by Federal, state, and municipal governments) is a matter of public record.
https://www.federalpay.org/employees

Should that be true for all workers?

5

They would likely black out SS#’s.

6

There’s a decent case to be made that everyone knowing everyone’s salary would be better for workers.

7

Yes, the SSN could logically remain confidential.

What about the rest of the information?

8

I’d have no problem with it. I don’t understand why what one earns needs to be so hush hush. It’s silly, imo.

9

I could see some advantages to making the nonsensitive information public.

For some occupation (i.e. intelligence officials and the like), I would like to see that portion held private for obvious reasons - but I could see some advantages.

10

In the US you are required to report income even if it is from an illegal enterprise. My understanding is that the return cannot be used as evidence against you. I am not sure how that would work.

11

I suspect that congress would find a way to exempt themselves from any public disclosure requirement.

12

only liberal democrats who love taxes should have their returns made public

and if they take any deductions they should be publicly condemned for the hypocrites they are

13

No. It encroaches on privacy. Even rich bastards deserve their privacy.

1 Like
14

Democrats in the House have introduced legislation requiring presidential candidates to make 10 years of tax returns public. I saw no such requirement for congressional candidates.

Must have been an oversight . . .

15

Would you favor making real estate transactions and assessments private?

16

Everyone’s internet activity should be public knowledge as well. lol

17

It already is.

18

I don’t really have any strong feelings either way on the matter, unlike on nude photographs or health information, so I’m going to affirm the status quo on that.

19

Absolutely not… The current laws are more than adequate to protect privacy…

20

That’s new. lol