Immigrants pay their share --and then some

April 15 as you all know was Tax Day. For some this is such an arduous task but good and obedient citizens as we are, we always make it a ritual to file and pay our taxes on time. Tax season is also a time when familiar claims inevitably resurface in political debate and casual conversation: Immigrants don’t pay taxes. Immigrants use public services without contributing. Immigrants take more than they give.

The reality, however, looks very different.

Immigrants are not standing outside the U.S. tax system. They are firmly inside it. Across the country, immigrants --both documented and undocumented-- pay billions of dollars every year in federal, state, and local taxes that help fund the services all Americans rely on. Roads, schools, emergency services, hospitals, and public infrastructure are supported in part by immigrant labor and immigrant tax dollars.

Most immigrants pay taxes in the same ways anyone else does. Payroll taxes are automatically deducted from paychecks. Sales taxes are paid at the register. Gas taxes, excise taxes, and property taxes --either directly or through rent-- are unavoidable. Many immigrants who do not qualify for Social Security numbers still file federal income tax returns using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, a system created by the IRS specifically so people can meet their tax obligations regardless of immigration status.

One of the least-discussed facts in the immigration debate is how immigrant tax contributions support programs they often cannot access. A significant portion of immigrant tax payments goes toward Social Security and Medicare. Undocumented workers, in particular, pay into these systems year after year while being barred from collecting benefits when they retire or fall ill. Their contributions help keep these programs solvent for millions of ageing Americans.

At the state and local level, immigrant tax payments are especially important. Sales and property taxes help fund public schools, police and fire departments, libraries, and local governments. In states and cities facing population decline, immigrants often help stabilize the tax base, keeping communities economically viable. Local economies grow when people work, shop, rent homes, and open businesses --and tax revenue grows with them.

Economic research consistently shows that immigrants contribute more in taxes over time than they receive in public benefits. This is largely because immigrants tend to be younger and of working age when they arrive, meaning they pay into the system during years when they require fewer public services. At a time when the United States has an aging population and a shrinking workforce, these contributions matter more than ever.

So why does the myth that “immigrants don’t pay taxes” persist? In part, because it is politically convenient. Tax compliance is often invisible. There is no fanfare when payroll taxes are withheld or when sales taxes are added to a receipt. But these everyday transactions reveal a simple truth: paying taxes is difficult to avoid, and immigrants do it every day.

Paying taxes is also a form of civic participation. It reflects responsibility, legal compliance, and investment in the future of the country. Millions of immigrants file tax returns knowing they will not qualify for refunds, credits, or benefits their taxes support. They do so anyway because it is required --and because it is the right thing to do.

Immigrants are not asking for special treatment. They are already contributing. The numbers show it, the economy reflects it, and communities depend on it. Recognizing that fact is not a political statement --it is an acknowledgment of reality.