President Trump said on Friday that Harvard would lose his tax -free status, which repeated his intention to engage the internal revenue service in his feud at the rich research university and to increase the finances of the school.
“We are going to take away Harvard’s tax -free status. It’s what they deserve!” Mr. Trump wrote on social media.
It was not immediately clear whether the IRS was actually improving the tax -free status of Harvard, a change that could usually only occur after a long -term process. Federal prohibit The president to lead the IRS to conduct tax investigations, and IRS employees who receive such an order must report this to an Inspector General.
After Mr Trump first called on Harvard to lose his tax exemption last month, the White House officials said that the IRS would draw his own conclusion about whether this should do.
Spokespersons of the IRS and Treasury department, who supervise the tax collector, did not respond to a request for comments. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
With his tax -free status, Harvard does not only have to pay most taxes, but donors can write off gifts to the school on their own tax return. Losing the status would not only force Harvard to pay taxes to the federal government, but can also dry up donations.
The intensifying impasse between the Trump administration and Harvard is part of A broad printing campaign Due to the administration against some of the most elite universities in the country.
The Trump government has painted many top -american schools as a hotbed of anti -Semitism and discrimination that require federal intervention. Harvard has opposed the requirements of the administration for changes, so that the government has encouraged what federal financing and Mr Trump to close to threatening its tax -free status.