Donald Trump Buried His First Wife At His Golf Course — Did He Do It For Tax Breaks?

If you ever have the opportunity to play a round of golf at the former commander-in-chief’s Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, you’d tee up on the first hole with a peculiar view behind you — his first wife’s gravestone.

Ivana Trump’s final resting place is situated in a secluded area, just behind the tee at the first hole on Trump’s course. What’s more, given the former president’s lengthy history with taxes, some assume that he buried Ivana there to serve a tax purpose.

Cemetery land is exempt from all taxes, rates and assessments under the New Jersey tax code. Her grave might have favorable tax ramifications for a Trump family trust that owns the golf company in a state where land and property taxes are famously high.

After obtaining tax records from the trust, ProPublica discovered that it intended to establish a nonprofit cemetery firm on a piece of land in Hackettstown, New Jersey, which is roughly 20 miles from the Bedminster golf course.
 

As a tax researcher, I was skeptical of rumors Trump buried his ex-wife in that sad little plot of dirt on his Bedminster, NJ golf course just for tax breaks.

So I checked the NJ tax code & folks...it's a trifecta of tax avoidance. Property, income & sales tax, all eliminated. pic.twitter.com/VDZBlDyuhQ

— Brooke Harrington (@EBHarrington) July 31, 2022

The state tax code exempts cemetery companies from business taxes, sales taxes, income taxes and inheritance taxes in addition to real estate taxes, rates, assessments and personal property taxes.

Ivana died in July at her home in Manhattan and is the first person buried in the 10-person plot at the Trump family grave site.

It is unclear whether Trump intends to pursue tax breaks.

Photo: Ivana Trump's funeral, lev radin via Shutterstock