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Work a job and you can be paid in many ways. By check. By credit card. By automatic deposit into a bank account. But traditional cash payments still play a major role in Arizona, often greasing the wheels of commerce for illegal immigrants.
Up to half of illegal immigrants, perhaps 152,000 or more in the state, are believed to work in a large shadow economy, where workers are compensated in cash, don't report the income and don't pay income taxes.
But immigrants do pay taxes. When they shop in stores or eat out in restaurants, they pay sales taxes, helping contribute to 55 percent of Arizona's revenue. If they rent, a portion of their rent helps pay their landlord's property tax. Those who own legitimate businesses pay payroll taxes.
