Ex-IRS agent: ‘Very unusual’ that Trump has been audited for 12 years

A former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent tells Bloomberg it’s “very unusual” that the tax returns of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have been audited for 12 years.

Alan Olsen, who is now the managing partner of a California accounting firm called Greenstein Rogoff Olsen & Co., said the IRS typically spaces out audits when no problems are found.

{mosads}“If the IRS examines your tax return and finds no issues they will not audit your return again for two years,” Olsen told Bloomberg. “If returns are properly prepared, the IRS typically goes away.”

At Thursday’s debate, Trump suggested that he hasn’t released his tax returns yet because he is being audited.

“For many years, I’ve been audited every year. Twelve years or something like that,” he said.

After the debate, Trump said the IRS may be targeting him because he is a Christian.

Trump has faced increased pressure to release his tax returns in recent days. Mitt Romney, who faced similar attacks during his GOP presidential run in 2012, has suggested there might be a “bombshell” in the documents.  

Romney tweeted during the debate that there’s no legitimate reason why Trump can’t release returns while under audit.