Undocumented paying taxes hoping to ease into legality

Millions of undocumented immigrants file their taxes every year with an ITIN, since they don't have a SSN. - - Donna Poisl

More than 3.5 million nationwide use special number to file taxes.

By Matt O'Brien, Contra Costa Times

OAKLAND -- Isaias Aguilar filed his income tax returns for the first time this year and took a financial hit for it. He owed $579 to the Internal Revenue Service for some of the work he did last year, including as a part-time taekwondo instructor.

The 29-year-old Mexican immigrant is not authorized to live and work in the United States, but he is one of millions of illegal immigrants known to use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, to file their taxes because they do not have Social Security numbers.

Parting with the $579 might hurt him in a tough economy, but the Oakland resident hopes his fiduciary responsibility will help him in the long run. If Congress ever creates a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, those who tried to play by the rules might have a better chance of getting a green card, he said.
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