海角大神

After weeks of stalling, Mitt聽Romney聽did an about-face on Tuesday and said he will release his聽tax聽returns in April and that they will show he聽pays聽close to聽15聽percent聽of his聽income聽in聽taxes.

Romney, a multimillionaire, has been under pressure from his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination and others to release the information. He'd previously said he wouldn't release it. He suggested Tuesday that he would make public only one year's worth of information, for 2011.

Speaking to reporters after a campaign stop in South Carolina,聽Romney聽said most of his聽income聽comes from investments, not regular wages and salary. The聽tax聽rate on investment聽income聽is聽15聽percent, much lower than the 35聽percent聽rate applied to wages for those in the highest聽tax聽bracket.

"What's the effective rate I've been聽paying? It's probably closer to the聽15聽percent聽rate than anything,"Romney聽said. "Because my last 10 years, I've ... my聽income聽comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary聽income聽or rather than earned annual. I got a little bit of聽income聽from my book, but I gave that all away. And then I get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much."

Romney聽has resisted calls to release his聽tax聽returns, insisting that he and his wife, Ann, have complied with federal law that requires them to disclose information about their financial holdings.

But in a debate Monday night, Texas Gov. Rick Perry insisted that聽Romney聽release his returns,聽saying聽that the party needs to fully scrutinize its nominee now instead of later. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he will release his聽tax聽information this week.

"I know that if I'm the nominee, people will want to see the most recent year, and see what happened in the most recent year,"聽Romney聽said, suggesting he'd release the couple's 2011聽tax聽information. "We'll wait until the聽tax聽returns for the most recent year are completed, then release them."

Romney's聽wealth 鈥� he is worth between $190 and $250 million 鈥� puts him among the wealthiest Americans. But if most of his聽income聽is from investments, it could help him to significantly lower his federal聽tax聽bill compared to people who make money in other ways.

The top federal聽tax聽rate for investment聽income聽鈥� qualified dividends and long-term capital gains 鈥� is15聽percent. By comparison, the top聽tax聽rate for wages is 35聽percent, on taxable聽income聽above $388,350. Wages are also subject to Social Security and Medicare 辫补测谤辞濒濒听迟补虫别蝉.

At聽15聽percent,聽Romney's聽federal聽income聽tax聽rate would still be higher than the聽tax聽rate paid by most Americans.

On average, households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will聽pay聽a federal聽income聽tax聽rate of 5.7percent聽this year, according to projections by the聽Tax聽Policy Center a Washington think tank.

However, when payroll and other聽taxes聽are included, that same household would聽pay聽an average federal聽taxrate of 16.6聽percent.

Overall, the average American household will聽pay聽9.3聽percent聽in federal聽income聽taxes聽鈥� and 19.7聽percent聽in all federal聽taxes.

In the 2008 presidential race, Republican John McCain released two years of his聽tax聽returns and then-Sen. Barack Obama released six years of聽tax聽information.