Thursday 9 August 2012

Anonymous Hacks IRS Database, Publishes 25 Years of Mitt Romney’s Tax Returns


Anonymous Hacks IRS Database, Publishes 25 Years of Mitt Romney’s Tax Returns

The mysterious group of hackers known as “Anonymous” was able to successfully hack the main database for the Internal Revenue Service, and retrieve 25 years worth of past tax returns for Mitt Romney. Romney has been criticized in the past for his failure to produce more than one past tax return. Anonymous wanted to let the people of America know a little bit more about the man who seeks to win the 2012 Presidential Election.
mitt romney tax returns hacked by anonymousAnonymous published the tax returns on a few major websites throughout the internet, but they were soon taken down. It was too late to protect Romney’s image however, as many sources were able to get their hands on them. Notably, Mitt Romney’s 2008 tax return.

Here are a few highlights from Mitt Romney’s 2008 tax return:

  • Mitt Romney earned $23,425,316 in 2008..
  • Romney only paid $412.18 in federal income taxes in 2008.
  • This calculates to a federal tax rate of 0.0018%
  • How such a low tax rate? Mitt Romney has $23,407,000 in itemized deductions in 2008.
  • $78,923 deduction for “Toupee Creators Unlimited”
  • $41,826 deduction for “Spray-on tan Services”
  • $3.8 million dollar write-off for a trip to Las Vegas with potential campaign donors
  • Paid salaries to numerous employees including two yacht captains, three pilots for private jets, two professional dog walkers, one toupee stylist, and one “live-in contortionist”
  • Spent $891,064 on a “EWS Donor Party at the Pennsylvania Mansion”
  • Supplies deducted for this party included: “Venitian masks, alcohol, lubricant, and various Egyptian leather accessories.”
  • $127,000 health related expense for “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy”, Mitt Romney has a condition called “Pseudologia fantastica” also known as “Compulsive Liar Syndrome”.
mitt romney tax shelters and tax returnsA lot of these tax return items raise a lot of red flags, notably the last item on the list, the cognitive behavioral therapy that Mitt Romney underwent. THis might explain the reason why the Republican nominee’s views seem to change dramatically depending on his audience.
According to Politifact, a news organization that researches the veracity of politican’s statements, only16% of Romney’s examined statements were found to be completely true.
The 2008 tax return only gives us a glimpse of thefinancial position of Mitt Romney in 2012. Romney is known for having several secret tax havens in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and also Switzerland. We will likely never know the extent of his holdings, or other unorthodox appetites he decides to quench his thirst with. Anonymous was however successful in revealing some of the things Americans should be aware of when they hit the polls this November.

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