• SomeoneSomewhere@lemmy.nz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 months ago

    While immigrants in the country without authorization do not have Social Security numbers, they can file taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN.

    Reports about 3m people file using an ITIN each year, and the number of people expected to legally use them is very small.

    Also says they see about $12B more paid into social security by illegals than paid out.

    As Al Capone found, the government is would rather you pay tax on illegally earned money.

    • Lojcs@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      2 months ago

      Every couple months I learn of another way the us government interacts with ‘undocumented’ migrants. I find it supremely silly that these people have identification numbers, pay taxes, are counted for the census and participate in elections but they’re still referred to as ‘undocumented’?? They clearly are documented, wtf does ‘undocumented’ mean then?

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 months ago

        It’s a nicer way of saying they’re here illegally. Despite all evidence that immigrants are hard working people with lower than average crime and social problems; we insist on criminalizing them because they didn’t ask permission to cross the border.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      2 months ago

      As Al Capone found, the government is would rather you pay tax on illegally earned money.

      That was more an end run around accidentally indicting all the state and federal officials who’d gotten wrapped up in his corruption.

      Capone should have gone down for murder years earlier, but too much of the early Hoover Era FBI was willing to turn a blind eye to Capone’s mafia exploits or rat out informants before they could go to trial.

      • SomeoneSomewhere@lemmy.nz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 months ago

        Yes. But my point is that the IRS has a process for declaring and paying tax on income that you got illegally, whether it’s from being a mobster or working without the right visa.

        Capone didn’t follow that process, so got done for tax evasion.

        These illegal immigrants are paying their taxes, and therefore a) they aren’t exposed to prosecution for tax evasion, and b) the IRS won’t rat them out to ICE.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          2 months ago

          These illegal immigrants are paying their taxes

          The vast majority of them are earning under the standard deduction and don’t actually owe anything. Individuals don’t owe taxes on income under $29.2k and the cheap labor migrants provide mean they often earn far less. Since they aren’t eligible for any refundable credits, this means there’s no incentive to file.

          Where they pay their taxes is typically on the consumer end - sales, real estate, gas/utilities taxes, etc.