House GOP grills IRS head on illegal immigrants’ tax returns

House Republicans at a hearing Tuesday grilled Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen about the agency’s handling of illegal immigrants’ tax returns.

“What I find absolutely outrageous is your suggestion that when it comes to illegal immigrants, the IRS couldn’t really be bothered when it comes to these folks stealing Americans’ Social Security numbers,” said Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas). “And I think that’s wrong, and it ought to stop now.”

{mosads}The issue involves cases in which illegal immigrants used others’ Social Security numbers (SSNs) to get jobs and then filed their taxes using their IRS-issued individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITINs). The IRS does not go after undocumented workers who engage in this practice, and it doesn’t inform those whose SSNs were fraudulently used.

The topic came up in two hearings where Koskinen testified last week and was brought up again in Tuesday’s hearing of the House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee. “I know this has been brought up before, but it’s too important for me to stay silent,” said Johnson, who is chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security.

Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) said he found Koskinen’s previous comments on illegal immigrants’ tax returns “alarming.” The congressman said he got feedback on Koskinen’s remarks from his constituents.

Koskinen said that anyone with a job is required to pay taxes, whether they are in the U.S. legally or not. “Our role is to make sure that those tax payments are made and credited appropriately,” he said.

Koskinen later added that when the U.S. has had programs to allow undocumented workers to become green card holders or citizens, the workers have to establish that they have paid their U.S. taxes.

Johnson asked Koskinen about the status of a pilot program that informs suspected victims of identity theft. Koskinen said the IRS is looking to see what the implications would be of notifying people that their SSNs were used by others to get a job.