February 6, 2017

ABC News: Without Immigrants, the U.S. Economy Would Be a Disaster

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According to Meg Wiehe, the director of programs for the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, “Undocumented immigrants contributed more than $11.6 billion in state and local taxes each year. And if the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants here were given a pathway to citizenship or legal residential status, those tax contributions could rise by nearly $2 billion.”

Despite their status, unauthorized immigrants still contribute “so much in taxes” because they, just like U.S. citizens, have to pay property taxes for their homes or apartments they own or rent, and they also often pay sales taxes for purchases they make, Wiehe explained.

“Researchers have also found that the vast majority of unauthorized immigrants also pay income tax using something called an I-10 income tax return form,” she said.

Wiehe added that it is “critical to remember that we are talking about real people here — mothers, fathers and families who are contributing to our society through their work and the taxes they’re paying.” Read more



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