IRS must provide Trump's tax returns to Ways and Means Committee, appeals court rules


The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the Internal Revenue Service must hand over former President Donald Trump's tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee.
A three-judge panel, two members of which were appointed by Republican presidents, rejected arguments from Trump's lawyers that the committee's request was politically motivated and "would pose First Amendment and separations of powers concerns," according to The Hill.
Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, initially requested Trump's tax returns in 2019 but was blocked by the then-president's Justice Department. When President Biden took over, the Justice Department ordered the IRS to comply with the committee's request. Trump responded by filing the motion that the appeals court rejected on Tuesday.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Liberal PAC MediasTouch tweeted that it had been "[q]uite the 24 hours for Trump," citing the Mar-a-Lago raid, the appeals court decision, and reports that Trump's former real estate appraiser had turned over nearly 36,000 documents to the New York attorney general's office after being held in contempt last month.
The documents will be used to investigate whether Trump broke the law by inflating the value of his assets and could lead to a civil suit against the former president.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?
Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
5 hard-working cartoons about Labor Day celebrations
Cartoons Artists take on creation of AI, spelling mistakes, and more
-
Codeword: September 7, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
'The McDonald's menu board is one fascinating thing'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC