Donald Trump has one more tactic to change the narrative on his taxes: release his 2015 tax return.
After the first presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump said his "current returns will be released as soon as they're complete."
Last year Trump filed his taxes on October 15, presumably after receiving a six-month extension from the IRS. If he used an extension this year, he's due to file his taxes on October 17, according to The Wall Street Journal.
On Saturday The New York Times published a report that Trump could have legally avoided taxes for 18 years after declaring an almost $1 billion loss in 1995.
If Trump were to release his 2015 return, it could work in his favor. He could file a "politically palatable" statement, in the Journal's words, similarly to former GOP candidate Mitt Romney.
In 2012, Romney released his 2011 tax return in September, a move Trump criticized as coming too close to the election. He chose not to deduct almost $2 million in charitable donations in order to pay an effective tax rate of 13 percent, which he'd promised he would.
Even if Trump does choose not to take deductions as Romney did, he would still have the opportunity to amend his return long after the election is over, up to three years from now.
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