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April 14, 2006
Get rid of illegal workers and get tax credits!
One of David Frum's readers has come up with a brilliantly simple solution to the problem of illegal aliens who are working in the U.S.: make it worthwhile for employers to only hire people who are here legally.
If you really want to stop hiring of illegals cold without having to boost the ranks of enforcement staff by huge amounts, simply make this simple change to the tax code:
Expenditures for wages and benefits of employees shall be deductible for tax purposes only for those employees that the employer can prove are legal residents of the US.
To make this work, the government must set up a database for matching an employee's name with his social security number that could be easily checked by employers. Confirmation numbers, similar to those issued by hotels and airlines, would be issued and kept in employee files along with the current I-9 forms that require picture ID and proof of legal residency. Exceptions have to be made for excellent forgeries, etc., etc. But you get the idea.
We won't criminalize hiring of illegal immigrants. We'll just make it equivalent to persons who use their business expense accounts for procurement of personal benefits (alcoholic beverages, household items, lap dances, etc.) You can buy it. It's not illegal. Just ensure that you use your after-tax dollars to indulge in this activity.
We don't need to arrest them or round them up; if employers won't hire them ('cause they want those tax credits), the illegal aliens will deport themselves.
Posted by Mike Lief at April 14, 2006 12:08 AM
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