Illegal immigrants pay billions in taxes

CNN ^ | 04/15/08 | AP

[Is2C]

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- [snip]

The Social Security Administration estimates that about three-quarters of illegal workers pay taxes that contribute to the overall solvency of Social Security and Medicare.

The agency estimates that for 2005, the last year for which figures are available, about $9 billion in taxes was paid on about $75 billion in wages from people who filed W2 forms with incorrect or mismatched data, which would include illegal immigrants who drew paychecks under fake names and Social Security numbers.

Spokesman Mark Hinkle says Social Security does not know how much of the $9 billion can be attributed to illegal immigrants. The number is certainly not 100 percent, but a significant portion probably comes from taxes paid by illegal immigrants.

[snip]

The impact on Social Security is significant, though, because most of that money is never claimed by the people who pay it but instead helps cover retirement checks to legal workers.

Federal law prohibits paying Social Security to illegal immigrants, but the administration factors in both legal and illegal immigration when projecting the trust fund's long-term solvency.

This is especially important as the 78 million-member baby boom generation begins to leave the work force and draw Social Security checks.

[snip]

"Ford, who has studied taxes and immigration, says a majority of economists agree that illegal immigrants are a net benefit for the U.S. economy.

[snip]

He calculates that illegal immigrants contributed $428 billion dollars to the nation's $13.6 trillion gross domestic product in 2006.

[snip]

"If anything we need more immigrants coming into the country, not less, especially with the baby boomers retiring," he said.

[KarenMarie]

I don’t remember where I originally found this:

- $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.

- $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally

- $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens

- $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services

- $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.

The National Policy Institute estimated that, “the total cost of mass deportation would be between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.”

[KarenMarie]

Oh and another thing...

It really ticks me off when people go on and on about how much the illegals do for us. I think if we kicked every one them out tomorrow, there would be loads of jobs for all the current welfare recipients.

[DesScorp]

How many of those illegals are paying taxes because they’re using stolen Social Security numbers?

[HiJinx]

The impact on Social Security is significant, though, because most of that money is never claimed by the people who pay it

Why do they perpetuate this myth? When's the last time any one of you went down to your local Social Security office and filed a claim for the money you paid in to it...? Before retirement, as the article suggests?

[Rudder]

Uh, do they have to be illegal to pay taxes?

[PGalt]

Why do they perpetuate this myth? When's the last time any one of you went down to your local Social Security office and filed a claim for the money you paid in to it...? Before retirement, as the article suggests?

Exactly! The greatest fraud ever forced on "free" people...

...by...who else?...LYING SOCIALISTS.

[Lizavetta]

I will never never never believe that people who are here illegally are seeking out tax forms, tabulating what they made under the table, filling in the number, and sending in a tax form with a check to the IRS.

They're afraid of the authorities but they're calling attention to their presence by alerting the IRS to their presence.

I'm calling BULLSHIT.

[RavenATB]

http://www.numbersusa.com/index

[ICE-FLYER]

This is a FALSE argument.

Who do thy pay taxes to?

WHAT social security number are the y screwing up?

Simple payment of these axes is meaningless when they take mor ein services then they provide to the country because they do NOT do EVERYTHING as they should. And I seriously doubt the numbers because if we KNOW they are illegal how did we verify that? What we SAMPLED 10 illegals and it just happened that 6 or 7 responded that they pay?

Good God these people never cease to amaze me on how much they are willing to LIE to JUSTIFY Illegal activity in the name of liberalism and democrat votes.

[A CA Guy]

There can be no logic of facts to back of the fabrications in this article.

They don’t even insure their cars driving, so why the supposed honesty to pay taxes? BUNK

Maybe they pay some sales and gas tax because they are consumption taxes. That is about it.

Their cost in California a year could exceed maybe 5 billion.

[Brilliant]

If an illegal immigrant is later given citizenship or legal status, then they take them off the list of those “illegals” who paid it, and later claimed it, because they are no longer “illegal” and are therefore entitled to claim it. And although they may have paid “something,” they certainly did not pay what the rest of us paid in order to get those benefits.

[expat_panama]

"...no longer “illegal” and are therefore entitled to claim it..."

That ain't how it works.

The SSA makes it really easy to pay SS taxes, but getting the money back requires all kinds of birth certificates, income tax returns, marriage licenses, everything.  I've been there, I know.   Americans are "entitled" to only what they can prove they paid for legally.

Unless of course congress changes things...

[dearolddad]

Except for a job being a political pundit, that is...

Or... A weather man/woman.

[raybbr]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why our politicians are encouraging illegal immigration.

Maybe for some. For Bush it means a whole "new America". His dream.

THE "NEW AMERICAN"..........<

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.

Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende.

For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

Our future cannot be separated from the future of Latin America.

As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico.

George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000.

You can read the speech here.

Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:

In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster

[Brilliant]

You misunderstood me. If you work as an illegal alien, pay social security taxes, and then become a legal alien, and eventually a citizen, you get social security even though you may not have paid much into the system.

Their analysis only says that if you work as an illegal alien, and pay social security, then you’re not likely to claim it bcause you’re an illegal alien. So the amount the “illegals” pay in dwarfs what the illegals get out. But it doesn’t necessarily dwarf what is paid out if you count those who eventually do get their citizenship and claim the benefits.

And there are some in Congress who want to make all these illegals into citizens.

It’s nothing but an effort to mislead.

[Kackikat]

NOTED ABOVE “Ford, who has studied taxes and immigration, says a majority of economists agree that illegal immigrants are a net benefit for the U.S. economy.” [snip]

Unless of course they receive legal status before they reach retirement age, at which they can get full Social Security benefits, then where is the “net benefit” to the US economy?

[Froufrou]

I’ve known people who’ve done that. They just get a lower percentage of what they paid in.

You made it sound like we all get ALL that we paid in. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[jetson]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why our politicians are encouraging illegal immigration.

Just the fact that our government knows and allows illegals to get away with these crimes is just another reason Americans should band together a tell the IRS that WE CITIZENS WILL NOT COMPLY to any tax audits until all 50 million plus illegals are audited first.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

So illegals paid something less than $9 billion to get $211 billion worth of services?

How does this help?

And how much did social security pay out to illegals? We already know several illegals were found with social security disability payouts for their drug addictions.

[Is2C]

http://www.numbersusa.com/index

That is exactly the kind of thing that I was looking for! Like I said, I assumed this was BS but I wanted to be prepared for this argument with some facts. This is perfect - thanks.