Jazzzy wrote:OP, this is obviously your decision...but it is something that AmEx does often, and it is something they have a total right to do. You don't actually send them your tax returns. You sign a form that allows them to get certain tax forms from the IRS. They don't want your entire return.
Please remember that they are lending you money. They have the right (and responsibility) to ask you to document your income. Tax forms are the best way to document that. If you were lending someone money with no collateral or security, wouldn't you want to have them substantiate their income? Or would you simply trust what they said? I know that I wouldn't. Asking for proof is the responsible thing for them to do.
Don't take it personally. It happens to many. I've been through it. I signed the form and got my CLI. That was for a CLI that I requested. I've gotten many CLIs from them since then that I didn't ask for. I went from an original credit line of $2k to over $14k in a couple of years. They developed trust in me. That trust takes longer to build if you refuse to document your income.
Credit is a two-way street, and you have responsibilities. The decision is yours.
+1,000,000
