Once living in US illegally, immigrant now looks forward to paying $50K in taxes on law practice
After many years of living in the United States without legal permission, a California attorney admitted in 2014 after state lawmakers passed a bill allowing him to join the state bar is looking forward to paying U.S. taxes on his new law practice.
The tally: Not quite $42,000 in federal tax and a little over $6,500 in state tax, which Sergio Garcia says he will pay at the end of the month, the Chico Enterprise-Record reports. His law office primarily focuses on auto accidents.
“I told my accountant, I’m probably the only client that’s looking forward to paying my taxes,” Garcia told the newspaper. “It’s hard to believe. but for me it was like the more the better, because it actually makes me feel like I am giving back.”
Brought to this country from Mexico as a toddler, he stayed until age 9, went back to Mexico, and then moved to Chico with his family at age 17, the newspaper reports. Now 38, he got his green card in May of last year, in response to a 1994 application for permanent U.S. residency.
Garcia says he hopes he will serve as an example of how immigrants can contribute to the U.S. economy.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Illegal Immigrant Should Be Admitted to Practice, Calif. State Bar Tells State Supreme Court”
ABAJournal.com: “Top Calif court skeptical about undocumented law grad’s right to be licensed to practice”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “After years of legal battle, Mexican immigrant becomes a New York lawyer”