NASHVILLE -- Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., released his 2009 tax returns Thursday and challenged GOP rivals Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to do the same.
The Chattanooga congressman's returns state he earned $166,707 last year in taxable wages and interest. His sole income appeared to be his congressional salary. He had $52,296 in itemized deductions, claimed $10,950 in exemptions and had $103,461 in taxable income.
Itemized deductions included $2,577 in general sales taxes and $9,465 in real estate taxes. He also claimed $26,138 in home mortgage interest and gave $4,988, or 2.99 percent of his income, to charity.
He had $28,455 in federal income tax withheld on his W-2 form and had a $466 credit under the "making work pay" provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Rep. Wamp overpaid his taxes and is eligible for a $10,681 refund, according to the return.
He pledged in a news release to be as "open and transparent" about his finances as he can if elected governor.
"Public service for me has never been about acquiring more money or power," Rep. Wamp said. "It's been about making a positive impact on the lives of the people I've been elected to serve."
Democratic candidate Mike McWherter recently released his 2009 tax returns. Mr. Haslam and Lt. Gov. Ramsey have yet to do so.
In responses earlier this year to the Tennessee News Network, a consortium of the state's largest newspapers, Rep. Wamp, Lt. Gov. Ramsey and Mr. McWherter provided three years of federal tax returns.
Mr. Haslam, a millionaire, did not provide his federal returns, saying to do so would compromise other family members' holdings in the family-owned Pilot Corp., which operates travel centers nationwide. He instead provided his non-Pilot income, taxes paid on it and a list of companies in which he has invested more than $10,000. He has been sharply criticized by the other candidates.