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BY VICTORIA CRAIG
You’re watching multi-source political video news analysis from Newsy.
It’s a conversation that’s surrounded Mitt Romney. But on Tuesday, after weeks of mounting pressure from critics and fellow Republicans, the GOP presidential hopeful released his most recent tax returns. Bloomberg breaks down the details.
“In 2010, Mitt Romney and his wife Ann earned 21.6 million dollars, putting them firmly in the nation’s one percent of income earners. Romney paid three million dollars in taxes, that’s an effective tax rate of just under 14 percent.”
Part of the debate about Romney’s returns is just how much he pays. Fox Business explains why the candidate pays a lower rate than average Americans.
“That’s because a majority of his income comes from capital gains on investments which are taxed at a lower rate than most wages.”
Further, as CNN Money reports, although Romney’s tax rate sits at just below 14 percent on his capital gains, the amount he pays in overall taxes is much higher.
“Nevertheless, and contrary to popular perception, Romney's effective federal income tax rate is still above that of many Americans -- 80% of whom have an effective rate below 15%. That tax rate is higher when other federal taxes -- such as the payroll tax -- are included.”
Romney’s critics say, because of his tax rate, the Massachusetts governor can’t relate to lower-income citizens. NBC’s chief White House correspondent says the timing might not work well for Romney, with President Obama set to deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
“Now the picture, when the president talks about tax reform and talks about unfairness in the tax code, the most recent thing some viewers will have in their head is, ‘Oh yea, man, Mitt Romney made 40 million dollars campaigning for president.”
The Washington Post says the tax returns don’t show the full picture of Romney’s wealth.
“They don’t show the full extent of his net assets, which are estimated to be worth between $190 million and $250 million. Romney has an individual retirement account worth between $20.7 million and $101.6 million, according to his 2011 financial disclosure. He also has a blind trust for his wife, Ann, containing $10 million.”
But a writer for The Atlantic says while Romney’s income and tax rate are a turnoff for some, the political fallout may not be as severe. Adding, the Romneys have done good things with their wealth.
“Romney donated nearly $3 million to charitable causes in 2010 and more than $4 million in 2011, including at least $4.1 million to the Mormon Church. That's better than some politicians, whose tax forms show they didn't bother to give money to those less fortunate than themselves (Think Vice President Joe Biden, who gave an average of just $369 a year to charity...)”
In Monday night’s Florida GOP debate, Romney stood firmly against his critics saying he pays his fair share.
“I will not apologize for being successful. I did not inherit what my wife and I have. Nor did she. What we have, what I was able to build, I built the old fashioned way: By earning it. By working hard.
Donny Deutsch, former host of CNBC’s “The Big Idea” agrees. He told NBC’s “Today” it doesn’t matter what Romney earned -- or what he paid. The only thing that makes a difference is how he’ll govern the nation.
“Honestly, he’s a successful guy, guess what. He plays within the rules -- that’s the tax rate for a guy at that level. Now, if you don’t like the law, that’s one thing where your politics are. But we gotta stop punishing this guy because he’s successful, politics aside.”
Of the four remaining GOP presidential hopefuls, Romney and Gingrich are the only two to release income information. Rick Santorum says he will follow suit, but Ron Paul says unless pressured, he will not make his tax information public.