Drop in immigrant tax filings may cost government billions as IRS shares data with ICE
Source: Washington Post
By the time Tax Day rolls around every April 15, accountant María José Solís usually has more to do. More clients. More paperwork. More phones ringing, more emails and WhatsApp messages pinging.
But this year, she said, more than 550 of her regular clients have disappeared. Thats about 15 percent of her customer base at Toro Taxes, the bilingual firm in Wheaton, Maryland, that Solís runs.
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Immigrants who are not legally authorized to work in the United States still do so and many opt to pay into the tax system through a federal individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) that is available to people who dont have Social Security numbers. Federal data shows that as of 2021, there were 5.4 million active ITIN users, though not all are assigned to undocumented immigrants.
-snip-
The Yale Budget Lab estimates that the IRS stands to lose between $147 billion and $479 billion over the next decade as migration to the U.S. declines, deportations increase and immigrants of various statuses disengage from the formal economy for what some experts say may be an extended period.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/04/15/tax-day-immigrant-filers-ice-arrests/
Buddyzbuddy
(2,739 posts)does not recieve benefit.
CousinIT
(12,626 posts)SOCIAL SECURITY.
Immigrants paid billions/year into it. Now, all that is gone.
This speeds up the upcoming shortfall by about 2-3 years if not sooner.
IronLionZion
(51,425 posts)slightlv
(7,849 posts)are the true winners... they are working the long game to kill off we, the useless eaters, once we have outlived our bodies.
littlemissmartypants
(34,032 posts)Less money for them to steal from we the people, the USA, and for that small favor, I guess maybe we could be thankful.
Most spiteful and dumbest US administration ever.
popsdenver
(2,403 posts)illegal immigrants withhold the taxes, etc from their wages, and just keep them instead of sending them to the Gov't, knowing the immigrants will never file a tax return..........
How many employers have you seen nailed because they didn't check to see if the applicant was a citizen, which is required by FEDERAL LAW???????
The Republican Party will sometime change the country's name from: The United State of America to:
The United Corporations of America, or rename it: The Fascist Corporations of America.......
Look no farther that WHO donates to all these Republican Politicians....The Republican Corporations have the best Politcians Money can Buy. (Greatly accelerated by the 2010 Supreme Court decision named "Citizens United".........)
TexasBushwhacker
(21,245 posts)All of our employees were legal, on paper. They had a driver's license and what appeared to be a valid Social Security Card. I offered to run everyone through E Verify and they told me "it's not required". So everyone got regular paychecks with Social Security, Medicare and federal income tax withheld.
thesquanderer
(13,056 posts)Last edited Thu Apr 16, 2026, 11:04 AM - Edit history (1)
As you said, employers who "do the right thing" (even if just for their own protection!) will withhold payroll taxes as legally required (and that money is sent to the government, not held by the employer)... but also as popsdenver said, the immigrants may not file their own returns, which means they will not get the refunds that they may well be entitled to! (And of course, like everyone else, they pay sales taxes when they buy things, etc.)
TexasBushwhacker
(21,245 posts)and suggest E-Verify should be made mandatory, it's the business community, largely Republicans, who say it would be "burdensome" and fight against it. EVERY TIME.
Bengus81
(10,249 posts)later on. Now if your a billionaire forgetaboutit..........
travelingthrulife
(5,363 posts)TexasBushwhacker
(21,245 posts)Karasu
(2,030 posts)So much for fiscal responsibility. LOL
travelingthrulife
(5,363 posts)City Lights
(25,930 posts)Bengus81
(10,249 posts)and they'll tell you so along with their MAGOT base. They're about to find out.......