2022: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Requiring Audits On All Income Tax
Returns For The President, President's Spouse, And Any Entity, Trust Or
Estate They Control. In December 2022, according to Congressional
Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted against the Presidential Tax Filings and
Audit Transparency Act of 2022, which would "require the IRS to conduct
audits to examine the correctness of all income tax returns filed with
respect to the president, the president's spouse, and any entity, trust
or estate that they control. The bill would require the IRS to publish
initial findings of the audit within 90 days of the filing, followed by
periodic reports every 180 days until its completion. It would require
the reports to include the status of the audit and time frame for
completion and require the final report to include a description of any
proposed adjustment, adjustment made, or controversy with respect to the
tax returns. The bill would specify that if the president does not file
their returns, the IRS must audit their taxable information for that tax
year, within 60 days of the filing due date, and that the IRS must
conduct separate audits on any amendment or supplement to a tax return."
The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 222-201,
thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did not take
substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 539,
12/22/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/22/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
9640]
The Bill Would Have Required The IRS To Publish The Tax Returns Of
American Presidents And Promptly Launch Audits On Their Tax
Filings. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The House passed
legislation on Thursday that would require the IRS to publicly
release U.S. presidents' tax returns and swiftly launch audits of
their filings, after Democrats moved to make former President Donald
Trump's tax returns public." [Congressional Quarterly,
12/22/22]
Most House Republicans Viewed The Bill As A Partisan Attack On
Former President Trump. According to Congressional Quarterly, "In
the House, only five Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for
the measure, which most in the GOP dismissed as a partisan attack on
Trump." [Congressional Quarterly,
12/22/22]
2022: Fitzpatrick Effectively Voted Against The Presidential Tax
Filings and Audit Transparency Act Of 2022. In December 2022,
according to the Congressional Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted against the
"adoption of the rule (H Res 1529) that would provide for House floor
consideration of the Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act
(HR 9640)." The vote was on the adoption of the rule. The House adopted
the rule by a vote of 216 -- 193. [House Vote 531,
12/21/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/21/22;
Congressional Actions, H.Res.
1529;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
9640]