California provides many benefits to low income people. Illegal aliens claim those benefits disproportionately, since CA offers many of the benefits without regard to immigration status. Education is one social service that the feds require CA to provide to illegal aliens, but CA has its own share of blame for luring illegal aliens with many other social benefits.
Illegal aliens with more money usually try to normalize their status (through several past amnesties or amnesty-like programs) and be right with the law. The rest are in violation of our laws.
But even if an illegal alien knows the tax code well enough to file for the renters credit (and in my book anyone who can figure out a tax form is probably smart enough to be a great citizen) they're still contributing their fair share of taxes through other forms of taxation (sales tax, income tax, medicare, social security (last 3 unless employer is breaking the law), phone taxes especially on international calls, even those who support friends and relatives back home get hit with wire transfer taxes and fees.
The government is remarkably good at soaking, I think on that we can all agree :)
Everyone is supposed to pay income tax on income, even if it's derived from an illegal activity (such as from trading illicit drugs, prostitution, extortion, theft, etc.).
Exceptions are available, such as on fellowships for foreign graduate students from countries with whom we have special tax treaties.
Illegal aliens can legally obtain taxpayer ID numbers (TIN) to use in place of the SSN. The TIN does not require or establish proof of legal presence. (and the TIN cannot be trusted for identification purposes, since the IRS does not verify identity)
knows the tax code well enough to file for the renters credit (and in my book anyone who can figure out a tax form is probably smart enough to be a great citizen)
Anyone who has filed a CA tax return would see the renters credit line directly on the basic tax return form. It's basically a yes or no question, and it's easier than anything else on the form. Reading comprehension on a first grade level doesn't make a "great citizen" or prove average intelligence.
other forms of taxation (sales tax,
Food is exempt from sales tax. Goods purchased outside CA, while subject to use tax, usually evade the tax.
income tax,
The personal exemption, plus deductions for each dependent, usually result in an extremely low AGI with little or no tax. Low income people also get Earned income credit on their federal tax returns.
medicare, social security (last 3 unless employer is breaking the law),
If the illegal alien is working "under the table," he or his employer probably doesn't pay these taxes. The employer is already breaking the law by hiring an illegal alien, whether or not he pays taxes.
phone taxes especially on international calls,
Low-income people do not pay phone taxes. Universal Lifeline Service exempts taxes and subsidizes phone service for low-income people by taxing regular customers. International calls with a prepaid calling card can be much cheaper than domestic calls; if there were taxes, they were not apparent.
even those who support friends and relatives back home get hit with wire transfer taxes and fees.
Wires are not taxed. If it were allowed, you can be sure the government would try to skim every transaction. :)
Invariably someone on FR will always propose taxing outgoing money orders and wires, and someone else will point out the laws forbidding such taxes. Small fees are for the banks providing the wire or money order services; the government isn't involved in those transactions.