Unauthorized Immigrants Pay Taxes, Too

[TheNewMe]

http://immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/...-taxes-too

American Immigration Council
Published On: Mon, Apr 18, 2011

Quote:Tax Day is an appropriate time to underscore the often-overlooked fact that unauthorized immigrants pay taxes. The unauthorized, like everyone else in the United States, pay sales taxes. They also pay property taxes—even if they rent. At least half of unauthorized immigrants pay income taxes. Add this all up and it amounts to billions in revenue to state and local governments. The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) has estimated the state and local taxes paid in 2010 by households that are headed by unauthorized immigrants. These households may include members who are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. Collectively, these households paid $11.2 billion in state and local taxes. That included $1.2 billion in personal income taxes, $1.6 billion in property taxes, and $8.4 billion in sales taxes. The states receiving the most tax revenue from households headed by unauthorized immigrants were California ($2.7 billion), Texas ($1.6 billion), Florida ($806.8 million), New York ($662.4 million), and Illinois ($499.2 million) {See Figure 1 and Table 1}. These figures should be kept in mind as politicians and commentators continue with the seemingly endless debate over what to do with unauthorized immigrants already living in the United States. In spite of the fact that they lack legal status, these immigrants—and their family members—are adding value to the U.S. economy; not only as taxpayers, but as workers, consumers, and entrepreneurs as well.

[Treestar]

that's interesting. Most people I've debated this with from the right insist they don't pay taxes yet we pay for their medical, blah, blah, blah. Sales taxes, true, that's a good thought.

[Julie]

This is very interesting!

[nofurylike]

thank you for this important information, TheNewMe!

it is enhanced by there being a thread on the same "Latest Threads" list stating how "45% of Americans Don't Pay Taxes"