France, Sept. 28 -- US president Donald Trump paid only $750 in federal income tax in both 2016,the year he ran for the US presidency, and during his first year in office in 2017, the New York Times has reported. The disclosure comes just ahead of the first presidential debate with rival Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

The New York Times newspaper said it had obtained tax-return data for Donald Trump and his companies going back two decades.

The records revealed "chronic losses and years of tax avoidance", it said.

The Republican president had paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years through 2017, despite receiving $427.4 million through 2018 from his reality television programme and other endorsement and licensing d...