How many undocumented immigrants file individual tax returns using ITINs each year?

1. What the headline numbers actually cover — ITINs, not perfectly matched to “undocumented”

The IRS-issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax-processing number for people without Social Security numbers; not all ITIN holders are undocumented and not all undocumented people use ITINs, so counting ITINs is an imperfect proxy for undocumented filers ^{[4] [1]}. Tax-policy summaries note 5.4 million active ITINs as of January 2021, and Tax Policy Center and other analysts use ITIN counts to estimate engagement with the tax system rather than to declare exact immigration status ^[1].

2. Estimates and ranges used by researchers and advocates

Research organizations and nonprofits use ITIN-related measures to estimate tax participation. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and reporting based on ITEP’s work put the tax contributions of undocumented immigrants at roughly $97 billion in 2022, a figure derived from data that include taxpayers using ITINs — but that dollar figure does not translate directly into an annual count of filers ^{[2] [3] [6]}. Advocacy pieces and explainers cite a broad range for household behavior — for example, one analysis cited here says 50% to 75% of undocumented immigrant households file tax returns using ITINs, which signals substantial but uncertain uptake ^[5].

3. Why an exact annual “number of undocumented ITIN filers” is hard to produce

Multiple practical and legal reasons complicate headline counts: the IRS’s confidentiality rules and the mixed population of ITIN holders (tourists, dependents, residents without SSNs) mean publicly available ITIN counts don’t map cleanly to undocumented status ^{[1] [4]}. Reporting also shows many undocumented workers pay taxes through withholding without filing, while others use borrowed or fraudulent SSNs — factors that further blur annual filing totals attributed to ITINs ^{[7] [2]}.

4. Conflicting perspectives and possible agendas in the coverage

Advocacy groups emphasize that ITIN filers are contributing taxpayers and warn against sharing ITIN data with immigration enforcement; UnidosUS and others stress the $97 billion tax contribution and privacy risks if agencies get access to ITIN return data ^{[3] [8]}. Government or enforcement-focused reporting raises concerns about data use for locating noncitizens; at least one news/legal account notes a new Memorandum of Understanding between IRS and DHS/ICE that sparked controversy over possible data sharing — though a declaration said no requests had been made as of April 7, 2025 ^{[8] [9]}. These differing emphases reflect competing agendas: protecting taxpayer privacy and immigrant participation versus using government data for immigration enforcement.

5. What the sources do and do not say about an annual count

Available sources report totals of ITINs and estimate tax contributions, and some report household-level filing-rate ranges (e.g., 50–75%), but none of the provided sources gives a single, authoritative annual headcount of undocumented individuals who file tax returns using ITINs each year ^{[1] [5] [2]}. If you need a precise annual figure, available sources do not mention a definitive number of undocumented filers per year; instead they provide proxies and ranges that researchers use to model tax participation ^{[7] [4]}.

6. Practical takeaways for readers and policymakers

Policymakers and journalists should treat ITIN statistics as indicative, not definitive: 5.4 million active ITINs (Jan 2021) and the $97 billion tax estimate show scale and economic contribution but should not be cited as an exact headcount of undocumented filers ^{[1] [2]}. Any policy discussion about sharing tax data or altering ITIN rules must weigh the uncertainty in counts, the mix of ITIN holders, and the competing priorities of taxpayer privacy and immigration enforcement highlighted across reporting ^{[8] [9]}.

If you want, I can (a) compile the specific passages in these sources that analysts rely on for the 50–75% household estimate and the 5.4 million ITIN figure, or (b) outline a short research plan for obtaining a more precise annual headcount (what agencies or FOIA requests would be needed and what limitations to expect).