According to Treasury inspectors, the IRS refunded $4.2 billion in child tax credits to unauthorized workers in 2010. Those not authorized to work in the US, who don’t have Social Security numbers, can get individual tax ID numbers from the IRS so they can file returns and make payments. Because the law that denies these workers the earned income credit is silent in regards to the child tax credit, the IRS will continue to refund the excess credits to them until Congress changes the law.

Stephen Osborne
Accountant
sosborne@mo-cpa.com