True/False: Illegal Immigrants File IRS Returns

By: PM
Published On: 4/12/2007 9:07:36 PM

http://www.msnbc.msn...

I was surprised by the answer -- many do, according to this AP story reported on MSNBC.  But how?

IRS

Tuesday is Tax Day, when millions of illegal immigrants find themselves collaborating with one federal agency - the Internal Revenue Service - while trying to avoid another - Immigration and Customs Enforcement.***

The IRS created a nine-digit Individual Tax Identification Number in 1996 for foreigners who don't have Social Security numbers but need to file taxes in the U.S. But it is increasingly used by undocumented workers to file taxes, apply for credit, get bank accounts or even buy a home.

The IRS issued 1.5 million ITINs in 2006 - a 30 percent increase from the previous year. All told, the tax liability of ITIN filers between 1996 and 2003 was $50 billion. The agency has no way to track how many were immigrants, but it's widely believed most people using ITINS are in the United States illegally.


I am not using this diary to promote any particular immigration policy.  The resolution of the optimal policy is a very complex issue.  Nonetheless, the filing of taxes adds a wrinkle to the debate.

One number hints at the number of illegal immigrants having income taxes deducted from their paychecks.

In 2004, the IRS got 7.9 million W-2s with names that didn't match a Social Security Number. More than half were from California, Texas, Florida and Illinois, states with large immigrant populations, leading experts to believe they likely represent the wages of illegal immigrants. Even immigrants who use ITINs to file taxes are forced to make up a Social Security Number when they get a job.

The IRS does not share immigrants' personal information with ICE or any other agency.

ITINs also have another purpose:

Many banks now allow illegal immigrants to open an account with their ITIN, and Bank of America has a pilot program in Los Angeles that allows customers to use the numbers to sign up for a credit card. Others have created mortgage products for ITIN-bearing immigrants, including Citibank, which offers one in partnership with ACORN Housing Corp.

We certainly do have an interesting immigration system in this country. 


Comments



I caught a short piece (Eric - 4/13/2007 10:14:32 AM)
on this during last night's evening news.  It was funny to see the head of the IRS joking that they don't care where the money comes from - legal or illegal workers, legal or illegal activities.  And it wasn't funny at the same time.  Hmmm.

One of the big complaints is that illegals don't pay taxes yet take advantage of the system.  This somewhat negates that argument.  And unfortunately will make it even more difficult to come up with a satisfactory immigration policy.



Yes, it makes a difficult analysis even more difficult (PM - 4/13/2007 11:27:56 AM)
The main thrust of the article seems to be that these illegal immigrants want to be able to say  -- "hey, my entry was illegal but I'm abiding by your nation's laws, and want to contribute."  It's an argument that will get them lots of sympathy.

(My personal views are those found in Lennon's "Imagine.")



tax "professionals" (TurnVirginiaBlue - 4/13/2007 1:34:58 PM)
I don't know the real statistics but I do know that there are many tax professionals who illegals go to in order to obtain refunds from the IRS for W-2 pay, where taxes are removed as a legal worker's W-2 would be.  There is a massive underground, cash economy going on as well. 

What a mess and what this says, regardless of where you stand on this issue, to me the message is employers can do whatever they want, pay cash under the table, not follow the laws, avoid workman's comp, whatever and there will be no consequence.