Kamala Harris earns far more than Joe Biden but donates less to charity

US Vice-President Kamala Harris donated less to charity last year than Joe Biden, despite earning almost three times as much.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris and husband Douglas Emhoff earned almost $US1.7m in 2020. Picture: AFP

US Vice-President Kamala ­Harris donated less to charity last year than Joe Biden, despite earning almost three times as much as the President, according to tax returns released by the White House.

Reinstating an “almost uninterrupted” tradition dumped by former president Donald Trump, who refused to release his, the White House on Tuesday AEST released the 2020 tax returns for Mr Biden and Ms Harris and their spouses, revealing a yawning gap in their financial fortunes.

The President, 78, and his wife Jill, 69, together earned a little over $US607,000, compared to almost $US1.7m for Ms Harris, 56, and her husband and “second gentleman” Douglas Emhoff, also 56.

“The President and first lady reported donating $US30,704 — or about 5.1 per cent of their total income — to 10 different charities,” the White House said in a statement. “The largest reported gift to charity was $US10,000 to the Beau Biden Foundation, a public charity dedicated to ­ensuring that all children are free from the threat of abuse.”

The remainder went to church groups and tragedy assistance programs, including Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Food Bank of Delaware, the President’s home state. The vice-presidential couple, who were successful California lawyers, donated $US27,000 to charity, or 1.6 per cent of their combined income, without providing details.

Once referred to as “the poorest man in congress”, Mr Biden’s net wealth was about $US9m in 2019 according to Forbes, making him the least well off of current or former presidents since Jimmy Carter.

The Bushes, Bill Clinton, ­Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump, were significantly richer, although Mr Clinton said he was the poorest president of the 20th century at the time of winning office. The Bidens established the Beau Biden Foundation in the name of the President’s first son, who died in 2015 at 46 from cancer.

The Vice-President and her husband drew the bulk of their 2020 income from investments, which totalled more than $US1.4m in the 2020.

“They paid $US621,893 in federal income tax, amounting to a 2020 effective federal income tax rate of 36.7 per cent,” the White House said.

“They also paid $US125,004 in California income tax and Mr Emhoff paid $US56,997 in District of Columbia income tax.”

The US President is paid an annual salary of $US400,000 and the Vice-President $US230,700. Ms Harris was a district attorney in San Francisco before she became California’s attorney-general in 2011. Her husband was a partner at law firm DLA Piper.