It’s not a significant reason to think that Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns. Look at what those close to the real estate developer have shared throughout the years. “I think the reason that he doesn’t show his tax returns is it’s like three feet tall–and if you let that go, they would scrutinize everything about it,” said Phil Ruffin, the former president’s friend, billionaire, and Las Vegas business partner, in an interview in 2017 with Forbes. “He is not doing anything but explaining it off for the rest of the four years. I would not do it.”

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former attorney, offered an identical response when she was asked about Donald Trump’s tax returns at a hearing of the 2019 Congress. “The statements that he had said to me is that what he didn’t want was to have an entire group of think tanks that are tax experts run through his tax return and start ripping it to pieces, and then he’ll end up in an audit, and he’ll ultimately have taxable consequences, penalties, and so on.”

Trump was right to be worried. Tax information from the former president was made public on Friday, and some remains were hidden even following the House Ways and Means Committee released years of tax documents. But nearly every bit of tax information that has surfaced in the past has resulted in consequences for Trump. The most recent release might be among the most significant repercussions.

The first organization to obtain the information was The Internal Revenue Service. The tax authority of the federal government has reviewed Trump’s tax returns numerous times throughout the years. A report from Congress released last week revealed the little resources the IRS allocated to some audits. Even its most basic inspections revealed some issues. For instance, starting in 2010, Trump reported claiming the benefit of a $72.9 million tax refund for income and was subject to audit, which led to an eventuality that the president may be forced to pay the government up to $100 million in interest and taxes.

Then, reporters were able to access some details. During the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, the tax returns of his finances were kept secret. However, the tax returns for his private foundation became made public. The Washington Post began picking through the returns, revealing numerous problems, among them the fact that Trump had been making donations to the money of others as though it was his own. The New York attorney general ultimately obtained a $2 million settlement and closed the foundation. Forbes investigated tax records associated with the Eric Trump Foundation, prompting another state investigation. The New York Times acquired an array of tax return information in 2020. It was able to identify enough problems that officials within the IRS organized an informal meeting soon afterwards and reviewed their audit.

Meanwhile, prosecutors got more information. They also obtained more information. Manhattan district attorney challenged Trump’s legal team to accept his client’s tax returns and later found Trump’s former chief financial officer and his company on several criminal charges, including fraud and conspiracy. It is believed that the New York attorney general’s office also seized an entire set of tax documents. It seeks to sue Trump and his company in a fraud investigation worth $250 million. Trump has stated that his attorney general’s office is investigating the case as a “witch hunt.”

Congress has recently had its turn to review the documents. Congress recently received the documents. House Ways and Means Committee, which has fought Trump for years to obtain the tax returns, finally got the papers in March. Within a few weeks, it was able to release a report highlighting a variety of possible tax problems, including suspicious loans Trump granted to his children, and exposing the IRS for its lenient treatment of the former president.

The consequences of all these — the expose, the criminal convictions, the $250 million tax case, and the congressional scrutiny- occurred before the public got the first glimpse of Trump’s actual returns. Today, thousands of taxpayers, including academics and accountants Trump had every reason to worry about, are now ready to have a closer look at his tax returns.

In a tweet sent on the previous day, Trump was seen puffing his chest., saying, “The ‘Trump’ tax returns once again show how proudly successful I have been and how I have been able to use depreciation and various other tax deductions as an incentive for creating thousands of jobs and magnificent structures.” However, Trump’s bravado does not discredit what those close to him said in the past: For America’s most well-known real-estate developer, the Friday release of his property is a nightmare that has come to pass.