US President Donald Trump and his family have been granted immunity from any ongoing tax proceedings, under a directive from the US Department of Justice.
According to the document signed by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanch, the US government will be “permanently prohibited from pursuing or seeking review“ of ongoing tax claims against Trump, members of his family and businesses associated with him. This provision was included as part of a deal in which the US leader dropped a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for the creation of a $1.8 billion fund for individuals the Republican believes have been persecuted for political reasons.
According to The New York Times, the Justice Department's decision exempts the country's leader from potentially paying approximately $100 million following an audit of the $72.9 million tax refund he has filed and received since 2010. This amount represents income taxes and interest he paid from 2005 to 2008 while he was the host of the reality show “The Apprentice“. The US president justified his request for a refund by citing the colossal losses his businesses, in particular his casino and skyscraper in Chicago, had suffered. He later reiterated the losing nature of the Chicago tower and casino. The IRS claims the politician tried to write off the same tax amount twice.