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| Photo by Chris Potter |
This
year, on April 18, most Americans will file their tax returns
while most students may not even notice this deadline has come and gone. Yet tax
day is a civic-learning opportunity for students. It can be the topic of a
thoughtful discussion on why and who pays taxes, how much they pay, and what benefits
are received (or expected to be received) in return. Tax day also lends itself
as a time to talk about the contributions undocumented immigrants make to
America while exploring the myth that the undocumented do not pay taxes.
That fact is despite their
undocumented status, “at least 50 percent of undocumented immigrant households
currently file income tax returns using Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs),” according to the Institute on
Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).
In addition, many more undocumented immigrants have taxes deducted from their
paychecks, even if they do not file income tax returns. These taxes fund
benefits, such as Social Security and Medicare, which undocumented immigrants
are not eligible to receive.
Undocumented immigrants also
pay sales, income and property taxes. For example, undocumented immigrants
pay sales tax every time they buy clothing, an appliance, gas, or food at a
restaurant. ITEP reports that in 2013 for example, the
average effective state and local tax rate of undocumented immigrants was 8
percent, compared to 5.4 percent for the top 1 percent of all taxpayers. This
translated into $11.6 billion in state and local taxes paid by the undocumented
community in 2013. Immigrants, regardless of status, also pay for a main source
of public school funding through property taxes – even if they are renting.
Though undocumented
immigrants can receive public schooling and emergency medical care, they are not eligible
for most benefits they pay taxes towards such as food stamps or health
insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
You can view the estimated
state and local taxes each state receives from undocumented immigrants on this interactive
map.
Conversing with students
about the economic contributions immigrants make in taxes extends the
conversation beyond the usual, though important discussions around their
contributions of cuisine, music, and art, and into a fuller understanding of
how immigrants benefit our society.
Tax Day Activities and Resources
·
Start
a Conversation. Find out what knowledge students have already about
how taxes work, draw personal connections, and extend the conversation.
Ask
students:
- Do you have a budget? How do you earn money? How do you decide to spend it?
- Does the government have a budget? How does it earn money? How does it decide to spend it?
- Do you think you pay taxes? If so, how?
- Who should pay taxes? Who should receive tax and public benefits? Should everyone pay the same amount or should it vary according to income?
·
Have
students use evidence to support their thinking. This brief fact sheet details the
estimated billions of dollars undocumented immigrants pay in taxes, and how a
pathway to permanent legal status would yield more tax revenue.
·
Empower
yourself and others. Learn the facts about the ITIN number, its
purposes and limitations, and how to apply.
Want to get
more involved with our educational work by applying for our community grants, writing immigrant-themed book
reviews, contributing to our blog
posts or offering lessons learned in the classroom? Let us know
about it! Email us at teacher@immcouncil.org and follow us on Twitter @ThnkImmigration #teachimmigration
Register
for our upcoming FREE webinar
this Thursday, April 14 at 4:00pm EDT “Celebrating Día at
School” co-hosted with LEE
& LOW BOOKS where expert panelists will discuss how to
create an effective Día de los Ninos/ Día de
los Libros in your school. This webinar will be most beneficial for those
teaching younger students in traditional and non-traditional classroom
settings.
