Donald Trump, New Jersey Goat Herder?

COLTS NECK, NJ - Much has been made about Donald Trump's failure to release his tax returns, but our President has certainly bragged about paying as little in taxes as possible.

Well, one of the ways he does that is by maintaining a small herd of goats on his golf courses in Colts Neck and Bedminster.

According to this Wall Street Journal article, Trump keeps a small herd of goats on his Trump National course in Colts Neck. That herd, combined with hay farming and wood cutting done on the property, allows him to qualify for a special New Jersey farmland tax break, saving him tens of thousands of dollars a year in property taxes. While it is not known exactly how much Trump pays or saves (because he declined to release his tax returns), the Journal estimated the tax break could mean he pays less than $1,000 on land that would otherwise be taxed at $80,000 a year.

New Jersey's farmland tax break was established in 1963, and was meant as an incentive to keep the state from being overdeveloped and encourage private ownership of large amounts of open land. Former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Bruce Springsteen have both taken advantage of the tax credit, according to the article.

Trump works with local Colts Neck farmer Thomas Orgo to keep the goats and haul the hay. Orgo declined to speak with the Wall Street Journal for the article. Trump does the same thing with his Trump National course in Bedminster, where he also keeps goats and farms hay. Trump National in Colts Neck has 40 acres of hay fields, while Trump National in Bedminster has 113 acres.

Both golf courses applied for the tax break in 2015, and were approved by local tax assessors.

Read the full article here: Goat Herd Helps Trump Lower Tax Bite