May 28, 2013/Press Releases

What’s He Hiding? It’s Time For Gomez To Reveal 2005 Tax Return & Say How Much He Pocketed From $280,000 Scam Tax Break

May 28, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2013
CONTACT: Samantha Hooper, 617-939-0800
 
 
(BOSTON)– For weeks now, Gabriel Gomez has refused to answer critical questions about the more than $280,000 tax break he collected in exchange for giving up the right to change the exterior of his private house in Cohasset (even though local bylaws already prevented him from making changes to its exterior, and he went ahead and made changes to it anyway, a year later).

 

What was his effective tax rate the year he took advantage of the $280,000 scam tax break? How much did he benefit from taking it? Did the outrageous deduction bump him into a lower tax bracket?

 

All of these questions would be answered by Gomez simply revealing his tax returns for 2005. Unlike Ed Markey, who released eight years of tax returns dating back to 2005, including full schedules, Gomez has refused to reveal any returns for 2005 and 2012 and “did not release schedules that would reveal more information about his deductions.”

 

It’s far past time for Gabriel Gomez to come clean with the people of Massachusetts and reveal his tax return for 2005.

 

“For weeks Gabriel Gomez has refused to release his 2005 tax return, which would answer many of the important questions voters have about the outrageous $280,000 scam tax break he took in exchange for giving up the right to change his Cohasset mansion, even though local bylaws barred him from making changes to it anyway,” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair John Walsh. “His continuing refusal to release his 2005 tax return suggests that he has something to hide. The people of Massachusetts deserve to know how Gomez benefited from the $280,000 scam tax break, and it’s far past time for Gabriel to come clean and reveal his 2005 tax return.”

 

BACKGROUND

 

Gomez Refused To Release His 2005 Tax Returns.  “Asked to release his 2005 tax rate, Gomez says he’s released six years of income tax returns, while his Democratic opponent Ed Markey has not released any. ‘I think this tells you just how scared and how desperate the Democrats are right now that we’re actually, probably ahead’ Gomez said.”  [NECN, 5/13/13]

 

Gomez Refused To Release His 2005 Tax Return To Hide How Much He Gained Financially From The Deal.  “Gomez has previously released returns for the past six years, the same number released by the candidates in last year’s US Senate race, he said, but refused Thursday to release the couple’s return for 2005 when they took the deduction. It would reveal how much he financially gained from the deal. ‘That’s it, end of story,’ he said.”  [Boston Globe, 5/10/13]

 

Gomez Refused To Release His 2005 Federal Tax Return And Continued To Dodge Questions About His Tax Deductions. “Gomez, who faced his first major public controversy when the report of his tax deduction emerged last week, has rejected requests from the media to publicly release his federal tax return for 2005 — the year he declared the deduction — and other details involved in the deal, including the appraisal used to determine the amount of his deduction. The Trust, too, said it has a policy not to release the documents involved in its easement cases.” [Boston Globe, 5/15/13]

 

Gomez Has Not Released His 2012 Taxes; His Campaign Staff Said He Sought An Extension And Has Not Yet Filed Them. “Gomezhas not released his 2012 taxes; his campaign staff said he sought an extension and has not yet filed them. However, a separate financial disclosure report that he was required to file as a candidate for the US Senate showed that he earned $993,470 at ­Advent last year.” [Boston Globe, 05/23/13]

 

Gomez Has Not Yet Filed For 2012 And Did Not Release Schedules That Would Reveal More Information About His Deductions. “However, Gomez has not yet filed for 2012. Gomez also did not release schedules that would reveal more information about his deductions. Gomez’s tax returns showed itemized deductions as high as $536,379 in 2008, dwarfing the amounts that Markey claimed.” [Boston Globe,05/24/13]

 

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