From Ted McLaughlin at jobsanger:
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about whether Donald Trump should make his income tax returns public (or at least let Congress see several years worth of them). Personally, I think anyone running for public office should release at least five years worth of income tax returns — and ten years worth would be even better. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s going to take a court order to make Trump turn over his tax returns (and that court order will probably have to come from the Supreme Court).
There is a simple solution to all this — make everyone’s tax returns a matter of public record (which could be accessed by anyone). That may strike you as extreme, and I’m sure the rich will be aghast at that prospect. But it’s done in other countries, and has been done in the United States in the past (before the rich convinced Congress to outlaw it).
It’s not a crazy idea, and a good case can be made for doing it.