Trump sets U.S. tax reform announcement

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U.S. President Donald Trump looks at an executive order during a signing ceremony with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin at the Treasury Department in Washington, U.S., April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Friday promised a big announcement about tax reform next week and ordered an administration review of Obama-era tax rules written to discourage U.S. companies from relocating overseas to cut their tax bills.

“We’ll be having a big announcement on Wednesday having to do with tax reform. The process has begun long ago, but it really formally begins on Wednesday,” Trump said during a visit to the U.S. Treasury Department.

First reported in an Associated Press interview with Trump, the news came as a surprise to lobbyists and congressional aides who had no idea what Trump’s announcement might include.

In February, Trump promised to release a “phenomenal” tax plan within a few weeks, without offering details. But none emerged.

A White House official said the impending announcement could come later than Wednesday, adding: “The president was saying what we’ve been saying all along, that he wants to do tax reform as quickly as possible while still doing it right.”