Tax Contributions

Do undocumented immigrants pay taxes?

Undocumented immigrants play a crucial role in the U.S. economy, not only through their labor but also through substantial tax contributions that support public services and government programs.

  • In 2022, households led by undocumented immigrants paid $75.6B in total taxes. This includes $29.0B in state and local taxes and $46.6B in federal taxes.
  • In 2022, approximately 4.5% of the U.S. workforce was undocumented.
  • 89.8% of undocumented immigrants are of working age.

Our Map the Impact tool shows the tax contributions of immigrants at the national, state and local level.

Recent Features

Fact Sheet
Adding Up the Billions in Tax Dollars Paid by Undocumented Immigrants

Undocumented immigrants are paying billions of dollars each year in taxes. In spite of their undocumented status, these immigrants—and their family members—are adding value to the U.S. economy, not only as taxpayers, but as workers, consumers, and entrepreneurs as well.

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All Tax Contributions Content

  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Utah

Publication Date: 
May 3, 2022
This research brief highlights the key role that new Americans are playing in Utah as participants in the state’s workforce, taxpayers, consumers, entrepreneurs, international students, and more.
  • Fact Sheet

Adding Up the Billions in Tax Dollars Paid by Undocumented Immigrants

Publication Date: 
April 4, 2016
Undocumented immigrants are paying billions of dollars each year in taxes. In spite of their undocumented status, these immigrants—and their family members—are adding value to the U.S. economy, not...
  • Special Report

Giving the Facts a Fighting Chance: Addressing Common Questions on Immigration

Publication Date: 
December 14, 2015

Americans pride themselves on belonging to a nation of immigrants. In fact, many Americans celebrate not only the traditions of the United States, but the traditions of the countries from which...

  • Fact Sheet

Fatally Flawed: FAIR Blames Immigrants and Children for Maryland’s Financial Problems

Publication Date: 
June 12, 2012
In a case of very creative accounting, the nativist Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is blaming immigrants and children for Maryland’s fiscal woes. In a new report, FAIR lumps...
  • Fact Sheet

Unauthorized Immigrants Pay Taxes, Too

Publication Date: 
April 18, 2011
Estimates of the State and Local Taxes Paid by Unauthorized Immigrant Households Tax Day is an appropriate time to underscore the often-overlooked fact that unauthorized immigrants pay taxes. The...
  • Special Report

Serving the Under-Served: Banking for Undocumented Immigrants

Publication Date: 
March 1, 2007
In recent years, there has been a great deal of controversy over the efforts of some banks to offer financial services to individuals without Social Security numbers, many of whom are undocumented...
  • Fact Sheet

Immigrants Pay their Fair Share

Publication Date: 
May 2, 2002
A recent study by the University of Florida shows that immigrants in Florida pay their fair share of taxes, and in some cases there are several immigrant groups that pay substantially higher taxes.
  • Fact Sheet

Making a Difference in America: Immigrants Continue to Benefit our Nation

Immigration is inextricably part of the American national identity and always has been. Immigrants are an integral part of the structural fiber that has kept the great melting pot flowing with...
  • Blog

New Census Data Show Immigrants Complement Natives in the US Workforce

September 20, 2018

Every year, the Census Bureau releases new data from its American Community Survey (ACS), which contains a wealth of information about the characteristics of the U.S. population. Without fail,...

  • Blog

Yes, All Immigrants – Even Undocumented – Pay Billions in Taxes Each Year

April 16, 2018

Immigrants—both documented and undocumented—contribute billions of dollars in taxes to the United States every year. Immigrants who are authorized to work in the United States file the same taxes...

  • Blog

Fewer International Students Are Choosing to Study in the United States

March 13, 2018

Fewer international students came to the United States in 2017 to continue their studies, leaving American universities less diverse and financially solvent. There is no doubt that international...

  • Blog

DACA Termination Affects Thousands on a Daily Basis

November 14, 2017

In the months following the government’s decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, more than 8,500 young immigrants have already lost their protection...

  • Blog

How Many People Are at Risk of Losing Their Temporary Protected Status?

July 26, 2017

Over 300,000 individuals who currently have legal status could lose it if their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is terminated over the course of the next year. Nationals of ten countries who have...

  • Blog

Refugees Contribute More In Taxes Than They Ever Receive in Benefits

June 16, 2017

Refugee resettlement has long been a cornerstone of United States foreign policy, but in the first weeks of the Trump administration, the president attempted to suspend the decades-long program in...

  • Blog

DACA Beneficiaries Pay Billions in Taxes

April 28, 2017

The fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative has left 1.3 million undocumented immigrant youth in limbo. President Trump has assured DACA recipients that they can “rest...

  • Blog

Say It With Me: Undocumented Immigrants Pay Taxes

April 17, 2017

Each year, undocumented immigrants file their tax returns, just like all Americans. They pay federal, state, and local taxes, in addition to income, property, and sales taxes. However, there are...

  • Blog

Undocumented Immigrants Are Making a Huge Impact as Taxpayers

March 3, 2017

President Trump made many promises on the campaign trail. One of which was to breathe new life into what some see as a stagnant U.S. economy. In fact, there are indications that it was this one...

  • Blog

The Balance Sheet on Immigration

October 14, 2016

This election season, tax returns have become a major campaign issue. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has refused to release his tax returns and admitted that he has not paid...

  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Account for Nearly 13 Percent of Utah Physicians as Demand for Bilingual Workers Jumps 38.8 Percent

February 7, 2023
The American Immigration Council released new research, The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Utah, which underscores the crucial role immigrants play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand healthcare fields.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows the Key Role Immigrants Play in 13 States’ Healthcare Workforces

February 3, 2023
The American Immigration Council reports underscore the key role of immigrant healthcare workforces of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Contributed $8.6 Billion to the El Paso Metro GDP

November 10, 2022
The new report is the first in a series of five reports highlighting immigrants' positive economic impact on Texas border communities.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Houston Paid Over $16 Billion in Taxes and Exceeded $50 Billion in Spending Power in 2021

February 26, 2024
A new research report by the American Immigration Council underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the Houston area’s economy, finding that immigrants paid $16 billion in taxes and exceeded $50 billion in spending power in 2021.
  • Blog

Map the Impact: Immigrants Make Up Over 18% of the Total US Population Growth

November 13, 2023

Written by Robin Lundh, Research Manager and Anna Shepperson, Research Associate. Immigration—long central to the American experience—has dominated news coverage in recent years. Between 2016 and...

  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Maps the Impact of Immigrants With New Data on the United States and All 50 States

November 13, 2023
  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Greater Salem

Publication Date: 
October 10, 2023
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Greater Salem paid over $200 million in taxes and held over $536 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New...
  • Advocacy

Testifying on the Positive Economic Contributions of Immigrants in the U.S. and the American Immigrant Workforce

Publication Date: 
September 20, 2023
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to address the economic contributions of immigrants in the U.S. and the American economic system.
  • Fact Sheet

The Contributions of Temporary Protected Status Holders to the U.S. Economy

Publication Date: 
September 19, 2023

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that allows certain individuals from designated countries that are facing severe ...

  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Kent County Paid Over $408 Million in Taxes and held $1.3 Billion in Spending Power in 2019

September 15, 2023
A new report, Economic Impact Report of New Americans in Kent County, released by the American Immigration Council—in partnership with the Grand Rapids Chamber- underscores immigrants' crucial role in the region’s labor force, business creation, and consumer spending power.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Allen County Paid Over $160.0 Million in Taxes and Held $496.0 Million in Spending Power in 2019

September 8, 2023
  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Allen County

Publication Date: 
September 6, 2023
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Allen County paid over $160 million in taxes and exceeded $496.0 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New...
  • Press Release

New Report Reveals Immigrant Roots of Fortune 500 Companies

August 29, 2023
In an annual review of the most successful companies in the United States, the American Immigration Council unveiled today (August 29, 2023) a report that sheds light on the contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs and their children to the U.S. economy.

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