Thread: (Sob)Give Me Your Poor Huddled Taxes

Despite being called Mexi-mooches, many undocumented immigrants are paying their taxes? but it hasn't brought them any closer to a green card
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
By Betsy Yagla and Nick Keppler
istock
"I almost cried out of anger when they told me I wasn't getting anything back," says "Maria," an undocumented immigrant from Tlaxcala, Mexico, who paid $3,300 in state and federal taxes. Maria had never paid Uncle Sam before, and at a volunteer tax preparation center last week, she began to work on settling the tab.

She's lived for 18 years in New Haven and spent the last eight earning $8 an hour at a factory job. Maria, a 46-year-old mother of three who asked her real name not be used, and her husband spoke with a lawyer about "fixing our situation." The lawyer advised them to pay taxes—$1,800 to the feds and $1,500 to Connecticut—in the hope it will help her someday gain citizenship. Maria explains, "in case there's amnesty in the future."


World-Wide Welcome

"We tell them they have to pay taxes," says Alan Castello, co-owner of Danbury's Interpoint Immigration Service, which does the full gamut of travel, money-wiring, legal help and tax preparation. "They worked and made money. We don't know what law we would use as a basis, but it is in their best interests. For any kind of benefits, we have to wait."

He says that, up until 15 years ago, the Social Security Administration would give anyone a number for banking. Tourists who came into the country could get a Social Security number. Under a sweeping Social Security overhaul, the system was tightened and the Individual Tax Identification Numbers, or ITIN, was introduced.

"To get an ITIN, you don't have to be in the country, you don't have to be anywhere.," says Castello. "It's for anyone who, for whatever reason, made money from an American company and wants to pay taxes on it." He says the money—officially—can seem like it's coming from workers outside the United States the employer wants to sponsor for a green card, but most likely money from an ITIN is coming from someone already in the country.

A million people, most believed to be undocumented immigrants, will file income tax returns with the IRS on April 15 using ITINs. Maria and people like her want to establish a work history to show the government they are worthy of citizenship.

In 2005, the IRS collected over $5 million in taxes from 962,071 ITIN holders. Connecticut's Department of Revenue Services does not keep statistics on how many taxpayers are using ITINs, a spokeswoman says. Nine-digit ITINs are difficult to distinguish on paper from Social Security numbers.

Pundits and politicians talk tough about illegal- immigration enforcement, but Washington gladly accepts millions from the people it rails against, and who are ineligible for certain federal benefits, like welfare and Social Security. Immigrants like Maria continue paying taxes even as congress avoids tackling comprehensive immigration reform.

"There's no appetite to get anything constructive done" in congress, says Angela Kelley, director of the D.C.-based Immigration Policy Center. "The appetite is to set up tough votes and a 30-second ad, so you can point to your opponent and say 'Ah-ha! He's weak on immigration.'"

Opponents like to paint undocumented folks as lawbreakers," says Kelley. "The truth is, they're very rule- oriented: Their goal is to stay in this country and work and build a better future for their families. They're gonna do everything they can to keep their nose clean, and that includes paying taxes."

Echoing Kelley is Emanuela Lima, editor and executive director of Danbury's tri-lingual newspaper Tribuna. "Mostly they [pay taxes] because every amnesty bill that goes before congress requires them to pay back taxes," she says. None of those bills has passed, but the repetition of the tax-paying requirement has stuck with hopeful immigrants. "With a tax ID number, they get to clear that part of it. There is really no other purpose for why they do it; they want a track record of having paid taxes for the last two or three years to show that they are contributing members of society."

John Lacava, a Stamford-based immigration attorney, says, "It helps with the green card process. They look and check 'Have you committed any crimes? Did you stay employed? Did you pay your taxes? Are you a good person?' Even if you are one of those 'illegal aliens' Lou Dobbs complains about, if you ever go for your green card, this is going to help you in their line of questioning."


Mother of Exiles

What paying taxes hasn't helped with yet is in-state college tuition for the children of undocumented immigrants. Two in-state-tuition bills in the Connecticut legislature were never taken up this year. It's estimated a few hundred undocumented teenagers graduate from Connecticut high schools each year. Since they're not eligible for state or federal grants and scholarships, and forced to pay out-of-state rates, college is prohibitively expensive for many of them.

"We're not saying 'Let's give them free tuition,'" says Werner Oyanadel, legislative analyst for the state Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission. "These kids are educated in our school systems. The state gives them primary and secondary education. What doesn't make sense to us is after the state's made such an investment, why not allow them to continue their education? Why not allow them to pay for their tuition at a cost they're more likely to afford?"

It's a win-win situation, says Oyanadel. The state would collect tuition now and more taxes in the future: College graduates earn more money and pay more taxes. The Connecticut Department of Labor estimates that by by the year 2020, 28 percent of the state's workforce will be minorities. Already, Hispanics are the state's largest minority group; many are undocumented and paying state taxes.


The Imprisoned Lightning

Castello, of Danbury's Interpoint Immigration Service, says privacy law prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using tax returns to track undocumented immigrants.

"Because of privacy concerns, the IRS can't give out much information on anybody," he says. "You can't call the IRS and ask who filed an ITIN unless you have a warrant. And I don't think it would be the best incentive for the [federal] government if they still wanted these people paying taxes."

Lacava, the Stamford-based immigration attorney, adds, "I don't think it's in the IRS's interest to act as an immigration-enforcement agency and I don't think it's in ICE's interest to go through their files." He also warns that it wouldn't be "wise to assume" most undocumented immigrants are paying taxes, just the ones with a dedication in staying as lawfully in the system as they can.

He says that "there are 9 to 15 deportation officers for the state of Connecticut at any time and there are 115,000 to 200,000 illegal immigrants. The people that [deportation officers] are after are the criminals, the people that are dangerous, because they have to prioritize. Those are not going to be the people paying taxes. It just wouldn't be worth their time to go through IRS files and find all the people who have an ITIN." And the greater government "would not be so stupid as to say, 'We're not going to give you any mechanism by which to pay your taxes.'"


Beside the Golden Door

All three presidential candidates support immigration reform, not deportation, giving hope that leadership on immigration reform could come from the White House in 2009. Congress, however, is another matter.

"It's going to be interesting this year because the Republican Party has decided that bashing immigrants is the strategy," says Doug Rivlan, the National Immigration Forum's spokesman.

Polls, however, show immigration is less important to voters than other topics, like the economy and the war.

"My prediction is the anti-immigration message for Republicans isn't going to do very well, and it isn't going to make up for all the reasons why people don't seem to be very happy with the Republican Party right now," says Rivlan. "This is kind of a Hail Mary."

So immigrants continue paying taxes, just in case.

Agustin, a Mexican living in Bridgeport and working in New Haven, has been in Connecticut for 10 years. He has two young kids and a stay-at-home wife he supports on $500 a week. His brother helps him financially when things get tough. This is his first year paying taxes, and he paid two years' worth (but didn't want to share how much he had to shell out).

"We need to pay taxes," he says, "in case something better comes along, politically. It's the first thing they're going to ask for."


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http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/article.cfm?aid=7138

A million people, most believed to be undocumented immigrants, will file income tax returns with the IRS on April 15 using ITINs.

In 2005, the IRS collected over $5 million in taxes from 962,071 ITIN holders.


Thats only $5.00 each

Originally Posted by jimpasz

A million people, most believed to be undocumented immigrants, will file income tax returns with the IRS on April 15 using ITINs.

In 2005, the IRS collected over $5 million in taxes from 962,071 ITIN holders.


Thats only $5.00 each

WOW they paid 5.19 each. um, can I trade them tax bills?

She's lived for 18 years in New Haven and spent the last eight earning $8 an hour at a factory job. Maria, a 46-year-old mother of three who asked her real name not be used, and her husband spoke with a lawyer about "fixing our situation." The lawyer advised them to pay taxes—$1,800 to the feds and $1,500 to Connecticut

If that was me I would be in jail. The average Joe pays more than that every year.

"I almost cried out of anger when they told me I wasn't getting anything back," says "Maria," an undocumented immigrant from Tlaxcala, Mexico, who paid $3,300 in state and federal taxes. Maria had never paid Uncle Sam before, and at a volunteer tax preparation center last week, she began to work on settling the tab.

She's lived for 18 years in New Haven and spent the last eight earning $8 an hour at a factory job. Maria, a 46-year-old mother of three who asked her real name not be used, and her husband spoke with a lawyer about "fixing our situation." The lawyer advised them to pay taxes—$1,800 to the feds and $1,500 to Connecticut—in the hope it will help her someday gain citizenship. Maria explains, "in case there's amnesty in the future."

18 years and she's mad because she paid $3300 ONCE?!?!?! Dang! That pisses me off, where can I get a deal like that???

How much in taxes did we lose from her working for 8 years? Who supported her and her anchors for the other 10 years???

Let's do the math - $183.33 x 18 years = $3300 tax for 2-5 people?!?!
$12k to educate each of her kids EACH year for 12 YEARS = $432,000
Welfare? Who knows? Medicare? Who knows? Ohhh, labor and delivery $5000 x 3 kids = $15000, WIC?

Yeah lady, you paid $3300 in taxes BOO-HOO for YOU!

NO AMNESTY!

Here's a clue lady - the taxes go to pay for your children's education, your food stamps and welfare and the cost of your free medical care.

The first thing all these IA's who are paying taxes should be asked is "Did you use a stolen Social Security Number or other false identity to get a job" ? That is a felony and would prevent them from ever being eligible for citizenship.

Originally Posted by USPatriot

The first thing all these IA's who are paying taxes should be asked is "Did you use a stolen Social Security Number or other false identity to get a job" ? That is a felony and would prevent them from ever being eligible for citizenship.

The new scam is to name one (or two) of the anchors the same name and use the infant's social security number. It's still fraud, but they don't consider it stealing. Can you imagine when it's time to "collect", these anchors will have a work history stretching back to BIRTH?!? In the meantime, the same anchor is receiving freebies up the wazoo..on OUR dime!

Originally Posted by miguelina

Originally Posted by USPatriot

The first thing all these IA's who are paying taxes should be asked is "Did you use a stolen Social Security Number or other false identity to get a job" ? That is a felony and would prevent them from ever being eligible for citizenship.

The new scam is to name one (or two) of the anchors the same name and use the infant's social security number. It's still fraud, but they don't consider it stealing. Can you imagine when it's time to "collect", these anchors will have a work history stretching back to BIRTH?!? In the meantime, the same anchor is receiving freebies up the wazoo..on OUR dime!

I thinks social security should at least verify birth year and red flag anybody under the age of 12 who file taxes. I am sure there are a few rich ones who legitimately do, but that will be easily proven.

Immigrants like Maria continue paying taxes even as congress avoids tackling comprehensive immigration reform.

This illegal alien hasn't "continued" to pay [self edit] for taxes! She paid for the first time in 18 years (a measly 3300 bucks at that!?!?), only to boost her chances of getting to the front of the amnesty line. Heck, she say it herself.