Barack and Michelle Obama double their income to $5.5m in 2009

LONDON - The credit crunch did not really touch the Obamas, as the US President and wife Michelle earned 5.5 million dollars in 2009, which is more than twice their income in 2008.

The White House released Barack Obama’s tax return on Thursday- the day all Americans have to file their tax returns.

And it showed that the Obamas earned 5.5 million dollars last year and paid nearly 1.8 million dollars in federal income tax, reports The Telegraph.

In 2008, the Obamas made just under 2.5 million dollars.

The White House said that the increase was due to increased sales of Obama’s books.

Obama’s books ‘Dreams From My Father’ and ‘The Audacity of Hope’ were on sale in 2008, but after he became the President sales have skyrocketed.

Obama, whose “principal business or profession” was listed in his tax return as “author”, and the First Lady gave 329,000 dollars to charities. That included 50,000 dollars each to CARE and the United Negro College Fund.

The President also donated his 1.4-million dollar-Nobel Peace Prize award to 10 different charities.

The president’s official annual salary is 400,000 dollars, which was raised from half that amount in 2001. (ANI)