Bush Removes Provision Requiring Back taxes From Illegal Immigrants

Boston Globe ^ | May 19, 2007 | Michael Kranish

[go-dubya-04]

I live and work outside the country and this President RAISED taxes on law-abiding ex-Pats but decides that illegal immigrants don’t need to pay any taxes. I am horrified that I backed this man in the last 2 elections.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I almost , but not really, feel sorry for the poor people the RNC has calling for money this weekend.

I just talked to one of them, telling them absolutely they would get no money from me, and the lady actually argued with me for a good 4 minutes, even when I pointed out that if she was on quota she should get to her next call.

I said “I bet you are having trouble this weekend with the immigration bill”, and she said “yep, it’s hard”. Then she tried the fear of democrats ploy, and I told her I didn’t donate based on fear, I donated to people who took the right stand on the issues.

It’s funny that I might end up supporting a version of amnesty/immigration reform close to this one. But I think they deserve some pressure anyway for putting this together in secret and being unable to communicate to us.

[AuntB]

This may not be as bad as it looks. If the alien had to ‘pay taxes’ he would have to go back and file returns for past years. Right? Most of them would have been eligible for the earned income credit and gotten retroactive refunds. They’d have never been able to make them pay any back tax anyway.

[little jeremiah]

Our government has become a hateful, stinking pile of corruption.

It all comes together at the top.

[Captain Rhino]

But Pete Sepp, spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, which says it has 362,000 members, was stunned that the provision was removed. While saying it would be difficult to come up with a precise estimate of the amount of back taxes owed by undocumented residents, he said it would be in the tens of billions of dollars, with a similar amount in fines for failure to pay the taxes.

"I can tell you, most law-abiding taxpayers would find that provision totally distasteful," Sepp said about the decision not to seek back taxes. "I doubt that many citizens are willing to swallow that special treatment."

Sepp said he understands that it would difficult to determine back taxes owed by illegal immigrants, and he said that many illegal immigrants would have earned too little to pay taxes. But he suggested that the administration could have come up with a plan requiring at least some tax-related payment from immigrants who are seeking to become legal residents.

At the very least, illegals must be prohibited from claiming any present or future benefits from the state and federal government whose calculations would be affected by those taxes. For example you must pay into the system for 10 years (40 quarters) before you are eligible for Social Security benefits. If they are forgiven the taxes for the illegal period, which could be decades, they also should get no credit for working, or for any taxes or social security payments they may have made (or that may have been made for them) during that period. There would be no "constructive time/payments" calculated for the illegal period. Only the legal period would count.

No taxes, no benefits.

[AmericaOne]

BUMP!!!

[Psycho_Bunny]

I've backed him as much as I could, and forgiven every perceived misstep, but his support of this legislation is the bridge too far that collapses all the dominoes of support I've set up for the guy in the past.

It's a slap in the face that cannot be overlooked....an absolute betrayal of unparalleled proportions.  I have to agree that I can't realistically imagine how a President could be worse.  

The first time I ever gave money to a politician was to his reelection campaign but if this bill comes to him and he signs it, I would fully support his impeachment.

[Regulator]

Have you seen the bill? Has anyone seen the bill?

What....you still think there's something reasonable and moral about this bill because a few guys with "R" after their name in the newspapers put it together?

When do you wake up?

This isn't just an amnesty for crossing the border illegally. It's a mass amnesty for a LITANY of crimes: income tax evasion (you try it), identity fraud and theft, employment law violations, motor vehicle offenses, on and on.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

First it will be seen as "unfair" that the illegals have to pay back taxes, so that provision will be stripped or ignored.

Next, it will be seen as "unfair" that the illegals have to pay any fine, so that provision will be stripped or ignored.

Then, it will be seen as "unfair" that the illegals have to leave the country to apply for citizenship, so that provision will be stripped or ignored.

And then, it will be seen as "unfair" that the illegals have to learn English, so that provision will be stripped or ignored.

And finally, it will be seen as "unfair" that the illegals have no right o vote, so a provision will be added to secure the franchise.

[VOA]

But the administration called for the provision to be removed due
to concern that it would be too difficult to figure out which illegal
immigrants owed back taxes...

IF TRUE...
don't expect this sort of "concern" if you are a citizen of the USA!

I know people that work "off-season" in the tax business,
crafting response letters to the IRS. They've never heard of
the IRS loosening their grip on somebody because "it would be
too difficult to figure out" their back taxes!

[pleikumud]

That’s about $7 billion in airline tix, assuming they could be positively identified and apprehended, plus the cost of finding and apprehending. It’s cheaper to convert them to taxpaying citizens.

[jocon307]

“It’s cheaper to convert them to taxpaying citizens.”

Non-taxpaying non-citizens is what the administration seems to have in mind. just “regularized” illegals. After all, if they were tax paying citizens they’d be Americans, and then who would do all that gosh darm work?

[jpsb]

"Johnnies feverishly searching the Web"

Hmmm, search must be taking longer then he thought.

[jackieaxe]

It would be nice if we could read the bill. Instead Senators like John McCain is calling for quick action before the bill can be digested.

[lone star annie]

My husband had an uncle who lived in a small town that never filed income tax and worked strictly on a cash basis.

He never got caught. Many of these “hard working” people don’t pay a dime of tax either. What makes you think that they are going to come forward now? What a laugh.

Me and my husband pay through the nose. Our tax liability is unbelievable. I got my SS statement last week and that is another real screwing.

It is ubelievable that the courts have given so much power to the IRS to prosecute harass American citizens, but these guys are getting a free pass.

[Current Occupant]

I still say give each 5,000.00 to leave the country and chip ‘em to assure they don’t come back. Best investment we ever made.

[Cacique]

btt

STOP AMNESTY NOW!! WE CAN DO IT!!

[Mister Da]

Jim, they are setting up another entitlement class, & the vast bureaucracy to go with it.

[Gene Eric]

“Well, that doesn’t make any sense”

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Do you listen to yourself talk sometimes?

I mean, honestly?