Carpenters and Allies Protest Across U.S. and Canada Against Costly Epidemic of Construction Industry Tax Fraud

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Regional councils affiliated with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) held over 100 events in the U.S. and Canada April 13 – 15, protesting against the costly epidemic of construction industry tax fraud.

"But this isn't just a problem for the construction industry," said Frank Spencer, General Vice President of the UBC. "We're exposing the growing problem of fraud in our industry because it impacts everyone."

The UBC's best estimate, based on studies done at the state level, is that the underground economy (which includes the amount of wages paid to workers off the books) in the construction industry amounts to some $148 billion in the U.S. The lost state and federal income and employment taxes add up to $2.6 billion. According to Statistics Canada, the residential construction industry is the largest contributor to the underground economy there, accounting for just over a quarter of the total, or $13.7 billion.

"During our Tax Fraud Days of Action, thousands of carpenters were joined by allies and elected officials," said Spencer. "We all spoke in a unified voice to declare that basic employment and tax laws need to be enforced for the welfare of workers, responsible employers and all taxpayers."

"I'm sure most of us would prefer to see missing tax revenues properly collected and put to work building better roads, bridges and schools," Spencer said. "Most of us would like to see our veterans better cared for, too, and Medicare and Social Security funding made more secure. But rampant cheating in the construction industry makes all of that harder to do."

Spencer urged the public, policymakers and the media to learn more about widespread tax and insurance fraud and wage theft in the construction industry at a special UBC website, StandingUpToTaxFraud.net.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters represents over 500,000 members and strives to build a strong construction industry with contractors across the United States and Canada.

SOURCE United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC)