In U.S. Illegally, But Still Paying Taxes

(AP)  Carlos Diaz broke the law when he crossed the border and took a job as an office janitor. But he's not about to break another by failing to pay his income tax.

"I've been talking to other people who've done it, and I want to follow the law," said Diaz, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala who squirmed in his seat at a neighborhood tax preparer's office.

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.

They hope a track record of on-time payments will aid their citizenship applications, but critics who favor tougher enforcement of federal immigration rules say it's absurd for the government to work with people it should be tracking down and deporting. It legitimizes the presence of immigrants who are here illegally, critics say, and sends a mixed message about the country's interest in enforcing its own rules.

"The word schizophrenic comes to mind," said Marti Dinerstein, president of Immigration Matters, a research firm that advocates tighter immigration enforcement. "There is something fundamentally wrong about this."

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. To obtain one, a person needs to submit to the IRS an application and a document that serves as proof of identity, such as a visa or driver's license. 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.

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.

Critics like Dinerstein believe the process makes room for law violators, and in some cases, might endanger the country by allowing them to operate more freely.

"That's why people who are living here illegally rushed to get ITINS like they're chocolate candy," said Dinerstein. "It's a national security issue."

IRS spokeswoman Nancy Mathis said the ID numbers are issued strictly to track a tax return's progress through the system, noting the tax code says nothing about whether foreigners filing taxes are here legally or not.

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[bourbon83]

I like that idea llalley. I'd bet many politicians would actually use it though to exploit cheap labor, and to make sure they have a clean house to come home to. I'd love to see them allow some of these gang bangers to live with them. ha. Frankly we just need to enforce the law. Tatoo them when we pick them up, send them home, and if we catch them back here with their identifying tatoo it's an instant two year's in jail. Then all jail-mates no matter what race they are, can get their butts out to the fields to do the labor the illegals do. Earn their keep. The farmers pay the state, and a portion of that money goes to victims harmed by the inmates. Welfare should be merged with Unemployment. If you don't pay into it, you can't draw from it. Also it only last for 6 months when you need to draw from it. Once you draw you have to work and pay into it for a long time before you can ever draw again. If people decide to live on Welfare they can meet at a warehouse, Where names a-e become daycare providers, the rest get bussed out to the fields and other community service to work for their checks. No work no pay! No need for illegal labor!

[llalley]

In an addition to my last note. I think that if any U.S citizen is willing to sponsors an illegal Alien in their home. They should be willing to do so without a Criminal background check and they have to allow them to stay in their home for a years and be willing to be legally responsible for their %u201CGuests%u201D actions during that year. After the year is over and it has been DOCUMENTED that these people have lived in their home for a year. Then and only then can they get a Green card to work and then get a chance within 5 years to become a Citizen. Oh yes and anyone in Government office that wants these people in this country without the proper papers. They must allow a Illegal family to live with them the whole time they are in public office, or they forfeit the right to said office.

[llalley]

Tell you what, all the people whom think that anyone who wants to come in this country without a criminal back ground check first, and be allowed to work here ,I would like to ask you a question. One in which I don't want evaded.

Would YOU be so willing to allow these people in your home with your family for a year, without a back ground check? If so then let come on in and stay with the family's that are crying for them to be allowed to stay.... As for me, not unless they have a back ground check done should they be allowed to stay.

[realpatriot1]

The truth is there are illegal aliens who fit the profile of loving this country and wanting to contribute to it and there are others that fit the profile described by bourbon83.

we need a system that will allow guest workers to be here while their labor is needed and allow them to seek citizenship, to make sure that they and their employers are paying into the system, and to assure that American citizens and legal immigrants go to the front of the hiring line.

The ability to do something about this problem begins with the practices of the employers. We need to be able to bring in labor that's needed in a process that's legal and to be sure that the people being hired are part of that process.
The answer isn't to say that you can't work while seeking to obtain citizenship.

[abbe7]

Yet another proof that if you want to fight illegal
immigration, that's the businesses hiring them that you have to target, not the immigrants themselves but the people exploiting cheap labour.
For some reason, this administration is unwilling to go that way.

[bourbon83]

[They are helping fund his folly, the Iraq war. This president is so evil and law-breaking, I cannot understand why the Congress will not impeach him.]

That's a huge laughable liberal leap! You're only repeating what the liberal yuppie bobble head dolls tell you to think. He cannot be impeached until he actually breaks the law. If he actually did break the law, don't you think the liberal congress would be all over it. Instead of just running their mouths with spins, and empty rhetoric trying to misguide you gullable sheep? I don't agree with Bush on this issue either so save the neocon comments. Maybe we should draft all the illegals, make them kick butt in Iran, Syria, and Iraq. Then the ones that make it back give them citizenship. 2 problems solved.

[bourbon83]

[IS THAT WHAT YOU HATERS ARE OS PROUD OF?

You know if we say we don't tolerate serial killers, you would call us haters! That's all your ilk knows how to spew. Haters! Liars! Nazi's! Do they publish that in the "Liberal Guide to Anarchy"? I've never enslaved anybody, and I haven't slaughtered any Native Americans. So stuff the ***. Maybe if the Native Americans would have stopped the first ship from landing they would not of been overrun. We should learn from that lesson, and not allow it to happen to us. One hand you libs hate America, then on the other claim we should be the savior to all. You must spend a lot of time in conflict with yourself, always kicking your own ***. I have mex freinds here legally, who have worked, and earned their way without handouts. They feel the same way about the wave of illegals pouring in here. I respect them. I do not respect the illegals who laugh at and mock our country, all the while raping it. I see new cars setting in their driveway, dirtbikes in the yard, as their kids march by my window all summer long to get a free breakfast from our school. At the taxpayer expense. While some work in ag, they get cash, they buy with cash and pay no taxes! The few that do will never pay enough to begin covering the large debt they've created. They commit serious crimes then run back to their country. At least when they enter legally, they know their rights will be pulled if they commit a felony. That is good incentive to be nice.

[me4prezz]

Yes me4prezz I've been homeless
yes been hungry, just trying to pay these taxes
{income} I am disabled & no I don't get *** for help. So you shut up.
Posted by Slim1H2O at 05:50 PM : Apr 13, 2007

Then I apologize. However, there are genuinely people who are on the system who need it. They are just overshadowed by the ones who abuse it. That makes it difficult to know who the ones that are really trying to change are and the ones who just don't want to work and are using it as a free ride are. That was my point and I got too hot-headed to make it clearly. I apologize for that.

[me4prezz]

I believe that we should take in the illegal immigrants and bill the countries from whence they came for shelter, health care, food, education, etc. A form of foster care if you will. If the countries they are leaving are so bad that they cannot continue to live there, then we will take the money the country would have paid for them and use it to help there here.

[krotec54]

This is Mexico's fault that is causing the problem. They cannot find jobs for their own citizens. Mexico should be training their citizens for jobs that the world market wants, not untrained and unable to communicate to.