[fabsroman]

Okay, most people hire illegals because "they have to." I cannot tell you how many times I have heard contractors say that. They have to hire immigrant workers or they cannot stay in business because their competitors hire immigrant workers. I blame the first greedy person that broke the law and required others to break the law just to stay in business. I find the same thing with tax preparers that prepare illegitimate tax returns. When their clients leave them to come to me, I have to usually turn those people away because I cannot file an honest tax return and get them what they want. Don't you think it hurts me to turn away business because others are cheating the system? Last year, I was so tempted to send a letter to the IRS to report a CPA/taxpreparer that prepared some horrendous returns for a potential client of mine, but that borders on a breach of the attorney/client relationship because it could possibly subject my potential client to an audit. There should be rewards handed out for ever person that is turned in for breaking the law. Maybe then, the playing field will be completely level. I read somewhere that there is going to be a fine of $20,000 for hiring illegal immigrants. I hope that this is $20,000 per illegal immigrant hired and they should give a whistle blower 10% of the fine amount. If it puts people out of business, too bad. There is insulation from loosing everything (i.e., corporation and LLC formation), but they should require any employer to post a bond of $100,000 before he can even hire somebody. This would level the playing field for everybody. How about the guy that pays his sales tax versus the guy that doesn't? How about the guy that pays for workman's comp insurance versus the guy that doesn't? How about the guy that pays his income tax versus the guy that doesn't? People/businesses that break the law for financial gain end up hurting those that follow the law. Like they say, good guys finish last, but that shouldn't be the case. Anyway, I digress.

Now, there are a couple of statements up there that I am not so sure about. How can somebody file a tax return when they do not have a valid social security number? Plus, the IRS has been pretty strict about pursuing violations of the Earned Income Credit and taxpreparers can be on the hook for violations of the Earned Income Credit if they do not do due dilligence in preparing that portion of the return. Some of my clients that file 1096 information returns and 1099's with the IRS for payments they made to subcontractors, have had some of those 1099's flagged because the IRS could not match the 1099 to a valid social security number or the social security number provided did not match the name on file with the IRS. The first time a 1099 is kicked back, the IRS requires my client to get a W-9 from the subcontractor. The second time a 1099 is returned, the IRS requires that my client keep backup withholding.

How can somebody get SSI benefits if they do not have a valid social security number?

How can somebody qualify for medicaid when they are illegal? I have a hard enough time qualifying my poor, and I mean poor, American citizen clients for Medicaid.

How do all these illegals qualify for all these programs?