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 2023, households led by undocumented immigrants paid $89.8B in total taxes. This includes:
  • $33.9B in state and local taxes and $55.8B in federal taxes.
  • In 2023, approximately 4.9% of the U.S. workforce was undocumented.
  • 89.4% 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.

New Report Shows Immigrants in Androscoggin County, Maine Paid Over $24 Million in Taxes and Held Over $74 Million in Spending Power in 2019

New Report Shows Immigrants in Androscoggin County, Maine Paid Over $24 Million in Taxes and Held Over $74 Million in Spending Power in 2019

Immigrants play a crucial role in the labor force in southern Maine, according to data in a new report. Read More

New Americans in Houston Report Launched at Regional Event: Houston: Poised to Lead

New Americans in Houston Report Launched at Regional Event: Houston: Poised to Lead

A new research report, New Americans in Houston: A Snapshot of the Demographic and Economic Contributions of Immigrants in the Houston Metro Area, released by the American Immigration Council, underscores the crucial role immigrants play in the Houston metro area’s economy. The report… Read More

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

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

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. Read More

New Americans in Southern Utah

New Americans in Southern Utah

New research from the American Immigration Council highlights the key role that immigrants are playing in southern Utah’s workforce and as taxpayers, consumers, entrepreneurs, international students, and more. Read More

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

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

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 2021 alone, record numbers of migrants arrived at the southern border; the Trump administration imposed travel bans on several Middle Eastern countries;… Read More

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

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

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2023—Today, the American Immigration Council released the 2023 Map the Impact Report, an interactive data-map showcasing the… Read More

New Americans in Greater Salem

New Americans in Greater Salem

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 Americans in Greater Salem, was prepared in partnership with The Welcome Immigrant Network (WIN) and the City of Salem. Read More

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

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

The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to address the economic contributions of immigrants in the U.S. and the American economic system. Read More

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

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

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that allows certain individuals from designated countries that are facing severe temporary conditions, such as ongoing armed conflicts or natural disasters, to stay in the United States until it is deemed safe to return… Read More

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

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

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. Read More

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