ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — The IRS has agreed to share taxpayers' ITIN—usually used by people without social security numbers who are not in the country legally—with immigration authorities.
- IRS has decided to share Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) with immigration authorities.
- Immigration attorney Win Eaton reports increased fear and frustration among clients regarding tax filing.
- Business at tax filing services has dropped by about 30% due to concerns over potential deportation.
- Some legal residents also express unease about the new IRS policies and the risk of being targeted.
- Officials urge those with ITIN numbers to continue filing taxes despite the fears surrounding the new policy.
For your convenience, the skimmable summary above is generated with the assistance of AI and fact checked by our team prior to publication. Read the full story as originally reported below.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Priscilla Lara your neighborhood reporter outside of Cal Total Insurance, one of the places where you can file your taxes. However, recent changes by the Trump administration have made some people skeptical of whether or not to file.
"I can assure you our phone is ringing off the hook with people who are absolutely beside themselves with fear and frustration over this," said Immigration Attorney Win Eaton.
Eaton is talking about the IRS's recent decision to assist in the new administration's deportation plans earlier this week, which intends to help with criminal investigations.
Their plan, to share tax payers' Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or ITIN—usually used by people without social security numbers who are not in the country legally—with immigration authorities.
"The IRS has historically considered this absolutely unlawful and off limits, which I believe it is, and I think eventually the courts will rule that it is unlawful and off limits," explained Eaton.
I visited Cal Total Insurance, just one of the mainly places you can file taxes, and sat down with Managing Director Julio Nájera, who says he was shocked when he heard the news saying that in 1996, the IRS released a clause—Section 6103— stating,
"The IRS is not authorized to release taxpayer information to other government agencies except for providing information to the Treasury Department for investigations that pertain to tax administration, or under a federal court order related to a non-tax criminal investigation."
"It has affected us because there is about a 30 percent decrease in business and people filing this year," said Nájera. "They're scared, they're skeptical about coming in and giving us their current information which now the immigration department—DHS—is going to have access to."
With tax day being on Tuesday, Nájera says he's been reaching out to his clients to schedule an appointment, but many have told them they'll be waiting to file until next year.
And it's not just the undocumented who are afraid. Arvin Business Owner Wendy Quevedo, who despite being in the country legally and staying up to date with her taxes, says the recent changes made by the IRS have left her uneasy, stating what is to say immigration authorities won't come after her.
"It's not easy anymore for people to get a tax return, and aside from that, people are left with the uncertainty that they may be deported," said Quevedo.
Despite these concerns, officials recommend that those with ITINs abide by the law and file taxes.
"We as attorneys are officers of the court, we cannot advice you not to file your taxes, look at it for what it is, you've been paying for your taxes, you've been doing the right thing, we advise you to continue doing the right thing and continue to pay your taxes," said Eaton.
Though the IRS claims this is an effort to help with criminal investigations, it does not guarantee that others won't be affected.
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