May 2014
In an interview with TV 3 Ireland, Mr Trump said:
"If I decide to run for office I'll produce my tax returns. Absolutely. I'd love to do that."
January 2016
In an interview with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, Mr Trump said he was "working" on releasing his tax returns and "at the appropriate time, you'll be very satisfied".
Later that month, Mr Trump spoke about not releasing his tax returns because he was under audit by the IRS for the first time.
It took former presidential candidate Mitt Romney baiting Mr Trump by speculating there were "bombshells" hidden in the returns.
Mr Trump made the comments in a candidates' debate during the Republican primary.
Just a reminder, there is no legal reason Mr Trump can't release his tax returns while he is under audit.
March 2016
Mr Trump released a letter from his accountants, who confirmed his taxes were under audit.
May 2016
Mr Trump told an interview with the Associated Press he was unlikely to release his tax returns before the election because of the audit.
"There's nothing to learn from them," he said.
He also told Good Morning America he fights "very hard to pay hard to pay as little tax as possible".
September 2016
In the first presidential debate, Mr Trump went back to saying he would release his returns as soon as the audit was complete.
He then doubled down with this comment:
"I will release my taxes, against my lawyers' wishes, when she [Hillary Clinton] releases her 33,000 emails that have been deleted," he said.
October 2016
A New York Times report revealed Mr Trump declared a $US916 million loss on his 1995 tax returns, which could have allowed him to avoid paying federal income tax for up to 18 years.
In a statement in response to the release, Mr Trump's campaign said the tax document was obtained illegally.
"That being said, Mr Trump has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes, sales and excise taxes, real estate taxes, city taxes, state taxes, employee taxes and federal taxes, along with very substantial charitable contributions," the statement read.
January 2017
In his first press conference after winning the election, Mr Trump claimed the only people who cared about his tax returns were reporters.
After being asked if he thought the American public was also concerned, Mr Trump said he didn't think so.
"I won — I mean, I became president — no, I don't think they care at all," he said.
Later in January, one of Mr Trump's senior advisors, Kellyanne Conway, said during an interview on ABC America's This Week Mr Trump wouldn't release his tax returns.
She then walked back the comments, returning to the long-held position Mr Trump couldn't release his tax returns because he was under audit.
March 2017
Maddow revealed Donald Trump's 2005 tax return.
In a statement, the White House said Mr Trump had a responsibility "to pay no more tax than legally required".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-15/ ... es/8356026
