美国共和党总统参选人罗姆尼公布了他的联邦报税记录，显示他在过去两年的收入超过4千200万美元，估计缴税620万美元。罗姆尼的竞选团队星期二早晨公布罗姆尼和妻子安·罗姆尼的报税记录，显示他们2010年的纳税率为13.9%，预计2011年的纳税率为15.4%，这远远低于其他高收入者。因为罗姆尼大部分收入来自投资。美国普通工薪阶层收入最高税率为35%。
记录显示，罗姆尼大部分收入来自各种投资的资本收益。美国税法将资本收益的税率定为15%。罗姆尼的个人净资产据信在1.9亿美元到2.5亿美元之间。他在经营一家私人投资公司期间积累起这笔财富。
罗姆尼在作出公布缴税记录的决定之前，上星期在南卡罗来纳州初选中意外败给前众议院议长金里奇。金里奇就罗姆尼不愿公布这一记录对他进行攻击。前麻萨诸塞州州长罗姆尼的巨大财富可能让他成为逐渐升温的有关美国收入不平等争论的众矢之的。批评者说，他的私人投资公司买下数十家公司并裁减员工，却让他自己和他的投资者谋利。罗姆尼在过去两年间还捐出了700万美元的慈善捐款，大部分给了摩门教会。罗姆尼是著名的摩门教徒。
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has released his federal tax records, showing he earned more than $42 million during the last two years and paid an estimated $6.2 million in taxes. The records for Romney and his wife Ann, released by his campaign early Tuesday, put their tax rate at 13.9 percent in 2010, with an expected rate of 15.4 percent in 2011. Romney's tax rate is far below that of other high-income earners because his most of his income comes from investments. Ordinary wage earners pay up to a top tax rate of 35 percent. The records show most of Romney's income was earned on capital gains from various investments. The U.S. tax code places capital gains at a rate of 15 percent. His personal net worth is believed to be between $190 million and $250 million - wealth built during his career running a private investment firm.
Romney's decision to release his tax records comes in the aftermath of his upset loss in last week's South Carolina primary election to former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who attacked Romney for his reluctance to release the records. Romney's vast fortune will likely place the former Massachusetts governor in the middle of the growing debate over income inequality in America. Critics say his private investment firm bought dozens of businesses and laid off employees, while making a profit for himself and his investors. The Romneys also made about $7 million in charitable contributions during the last two years, much of it to the Mormon Church, of which he is a prominent member.
