Illegal immigrants pay billions in taxes

[Joe Republic]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5695140.html


Illegal immigrants pay billions in taxes

But many miss their refunds because, fearing deportation, they don't file

April 11, 2008, 11:11PM

By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press


NASHVILLE, TENN. — The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check.

Illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam, experts agree. Just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn't fully tally it.

But the latest figures available indicate it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year.

One rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year.

Paycheck withholding collects much of the federal tax from illegal workers, just as it does for legal workers.

The Internal Revenue Service doesn't track a worker's immigration status, yet many illegal immigrants fearful of deportation won't risk the government attention that will come from filing a return, even if they might qualify for a refund. Economist William Ford of Middle Tennessee State University says there are no firm figures on how many such taxpayers there are.

"The real question is how many of them pay more than they owe. There are undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of people in that situation," Ford said.


cont.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Either we give them amnesty and a path to citizenship, or we return the money (or donate it to charity) and ship them back to Mexico.

[Joe Republic]

Either we give them amnesty and a path to citizenship, or we return the money (or donate it to charity) and ship them back to Mexico.

I fully expect a sizeable number of people to support the idea of keeping their money and then sending them back.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Either we give them amnesty and a path to citizenship, or we return the money (or donate it to charity) and ship them back to Mexico.

I fully expect a sizeable number of people to support the idea of keeping their money and then sending them back.

Yes, the "take the money and run" crowd.  The same ones that wouldn't ask a neighbor to turn the music down, but would call the police instead and watch from their dark living room.

[specific_name]

Either we give them amnesty and a path to citizenship, or we return the money (or donate it to charity) and ship them back to Mexico.

Yes let's return it. Are you kidding me? As long as these people benefit from this system, they need to pay into it. I find it encouraging that some actually are paying. I'd be in favor of citizenship if we could get illegal aliens on the tax rolls just like the rest of us.

[dead0man]

Either we give them amnesty and a path to citizenship, or we return the money (or donate it to charity) and ship them back to Mexico.

If it ends with sending back the illegals, I'm for it.  We can use their tax money for their transportation though.  They can keep whatever's left over.

[MODU]

Either we give them amnesty and a path to citizenship, or we return the money (or donate it to charity) and ship them back to Mexico.

Ummmm . . . no.  It's payment for services rendered.  Besides, they've probably already shipped a lot of money back to their home country anyway, where it is worth a lot more than here (hence the reason why they break the law to be in our country to begin with).