White House Statement About the President's Income Tax Returns.

WE HAVE LEARNED of the decision by the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation to release a staff analysis of the President's taxes before the committee itself has had opportunity to evaluate the staff views, and before the President's tax counsel could advise the committee of their views on the many legal matters in dispute in that report.

Yesterday, the President received a statement from the Internal Revenue Service indicating its view, also, that he should pay an additional tax.

The President's tax counsel have advised him that the positions they have sought to present to the committee, as outlined in their brief, are valid and compelling. His intent to give the papers was clear. Their delivery was accomplished in March 1969, 4 months before the July deadline. His intent as to the amount of the gift was stated to his counsel. Because of these facts, the President's tax counsel strongly affirm that those various issues could be sharply and properly contested in court proceedings such as are open to an ordinary taxpayer to review the decisions of the Internal Revenue Service.

The President believes that his tax counsel can make a very strong case against the major conclusions set forth in the committee's staff report. However, at the time the President voluntarily requested the committee to conduct its examination of his tax returns, he stated that he would abide by the committee's judgment. In view of the fact that the staff report indicates that the proper amount to be paid must be determined by the Internal Revenue Service, he has today instructed payment of the $432,787.13 set forth by the Internal Revenue Service, plus interest.

It should be noted that the report by the Internal Revenue Service rebuts any suggestion of fraud on the part of the President. The committee's staff report offers no facts which would support any such charge.

Any errors which may have been made in the preparation of the President's returns were made by those to whom he delegated the responsibility for preparing his returns and were made without his knowledge and without his approval.