If you have more than one employer and your wages were over the annual social security wage limit of $87,000.00 for 2003, you probably had too much social security tax withheld. (There is no wage limit for Medicare tax.)

You can take a credit for the excess withheld in the "Payments" section of Form 1040 or Form 1040A. Since it is credited in the payment section, it is a refundable credit and is applied like a payment. It will either be applied against any tax owed or refunded to you. The maximum social security tax for the tax year can be found in the Instructions for Form 1040 for the "Payments" section under "Excess Social Security and RRTA Tax Withheld," or in Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax .

References:

• Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
• Tax Topic 608, Excess social security and RRTA tax withheld
• Instructions for Form 1040

Yes, if your part-time job is with a different employer. Each employer is responsible for withholding on wages subject to social security up to the annual wage limit which is $87,000.00 for the 2003 tax year. They are not responsible for determining any amount withheld by another employer. Consequently, with two or more employers, too much social security will be withheld if your total wages exceed the annual wage limit. (The wage limit is adjusted annually for inflation.) That is the reason there is a credit for excess social security and RRTA withheld. It is in the "Payments" section of Forms 1040 and 1040A so that if it is not needed to apply against tax owed, it is refunded to you.

The Medicare tax has no annual wage limit.

References:

• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide
• Tax Topic 608, Excess social security and RRTA tax withheld

Generally, employee wages are subject to social security and medicare taxes regardless of the employee's age or whether he or she is receiving social security benefits.

References:

• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide

No, social security tax is paid up to the annual wage base limit regardless of whether your income is derived from self employment income, wages and tips, or a combination of both. For 2003, this dollar amount is $87,000. When computing Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF) , Self-Employment Tax , the annual wage base amount is addressed to prevent over payment of the social security tax.

References:

• Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax

If you worked for two or more employers, the credit for excess social security withheld is claimed on Form 1040 (PDF) line 64. If you file Form 1040A (PDF), include the credit in the total of line 43 and put "Excess SST" and the amount of the credit in the space to the left of the line. If you are filing a joint return, you figure the credit separately for you and your spouse. For complete instructions, refer to Credit for Excess Social Security Tax or Railroad Retirement Tax Withheld in Chapter 38 of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax .

References:

• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax
• Publication 213 (PDF), Check Your Withholding

Credit for excess social security withheld is claimed on page 2 of Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Refer to Credit for Excess Social Security Tax or Railroad Retirement Tax Withheld in Chapter 38 of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.

References:

• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax
• Publication 213 (PDF), Check Your Withholding

Generally, in situations such as this, the employer is not considering you to be an employee. Rather, you are being treated as an independent contractor (self-employed person). If you cannot resolve this matter with your employer, and if you feel that an employer-employee relationship exists, you should submit a Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Employee Work Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding. The factors used to determine if an employer-employee relationship exists are covered in Chapter 2 of Publication 15-A (PDF), Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide.

If your status as an employee is not at issue, it may be that you are in a category of employment whose earnings are not defined as wages under U.S. social security law. Find out from your employer the reason that social security and Medicare taxes are not being withheld from your pay. If you have further questions, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 or visit an IRS walk-in office for assistance.

References:

• Form SS-8 (PDF) , Determination of Employee Work Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding
• Publication 15-A (PDF) , Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide
• Publication 1779 (PDF) , Independent Contractor or Employee

Students who perform services for the school, college, or university where they are enrolled and regularly attend classes are usually not subject to social security and Medicare taxes.

If the student works for a public school, college or university which is subject to a section 218 agreement, the student's services are automatically subject to social security and Medicare taxes if the state has chosen to cover students under its section 218 agreement with the Social Security Administration. The employer can tell you whether its students' services are subject to social security and Medicare taxes under a section 218 agreement.

References:

• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide
• Federal Regulation section 31.3121(b)(10)-1

If you are not performing a service for the university, your stipend would be subject to income tax only if it does not meet the qualified scholarship rules. Please refer to Publication 520, Scholarships and Fellowships, for information on when a stipend would be a qualified scholarship, which would not be subject to social security and Medicare taxes. If you are performing a service for the university, your income is taxable for income tax purposes, but would generally be exempt from social security and Medicare taxes if you are enrolled and regularly attending classes unless you are covered under a section 218 agreement. Refer to Publication 15, Employer's Tax Guide.

If your employer has been withholding social security and Medicare taxes from your stipend, the employer should refund the withheld tax. If the employer refuses to do so, Form 843 (PDF), Claim For Refund and Request For Abatement, can be filed to claim credit for the incorrectly withheld tax.

References:

• Publication 520, Scholarships and Fellowships
• Publication 15, Employer's Tax Guide
• Form 843 (PDF), Claim For Refund and Request For Abatement

Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes imposed on employees are not deductible as medical insurance or pursuant to any other provision.

If you are itemizing deductions on Schedule A, you may be able to deduct Medicare A & B premiums paid out-of-pocket. These are considered medical expenses and must be reduced by 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

For more information, refer to Publication 502, Medical Expenses; and Tax Topic 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.

References:

• Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses
• Tax Topic 502, Medical and Dental Expenses

You need to use Form 4137 (PDF), Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income. Cross out the word "Tip" and insert the word "Wages" at the top of the form and also at the top of Schedule U, which is attached to the bottom of the form. Follow the instructions on Form 4137 to compute your share of your social security and Medicare taxes. Attach Form 4137 to your Form 1040. You may call us at 1 800-829-1040 if further clarification of the procedures is necessary.

You may want to file Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding. This form requests the IRS to make an official determination of whether or not you were an employee. To make this determination, the IRS will need information from you and your employer.

References:

• Form 4137 (PDF), Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income
• Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding

You are a sole proprietor if you are the sole owner of a business that is not a corporation. Report your income and expenses from your sole proprietorship on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or on Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business.

If the total of your net profit from all businesses is $400 or more, you must pay into the Social Security and Medicare systems by filing Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax. Self-Employment tax consists of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (social security) and the Hospital Insurance (Medicare) taxes. For more information on this, refer to Publication 533, Self-Employment Tax.

The Federal tax system is based on a pay-as-you-go plan. Tax is generally withheld from your wages or salary before you get it. However, tax is generally not withheld from self-employment income. Thus, you may be required to make estimated tax payments. Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, provides information on making estimated tax payments.

References:

• Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
• Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
• Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax
• Publication 533, Self-Employment Tax
• Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax

Your son may be liable to pay into the Social Security and Medicare system by paying self-employment tax. However, if your son is under the age of 18 he exempt from self-employment tax. Persons engaged in the trade or business of delivering or distributing newspapers or shopping news (including any services directly related to such delivery or distribution) are considered by statute as nonemployees and are treated as self-employed for all Federal tax purposes, including income and employment taxes.

Independent contractors report their income on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship) , or you may qualify to use Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business . See Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax , which must be filed if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. If your child is a newspaper carrier under the age of 18, he is exempted from self-employment tax.

References:

• Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
• Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business
• Instructions for Form 1040, Schedule C
• Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax
• Instructions for Form 1040, Schedule SE
• Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business
• Tax information for Business

The determination is complex, but is essentially made by examining the right to control how, when, and where the person performs services. It is not based on how the person is paid, how often the person is paid, nor whether the person works work part-time or full-time. There is no statutory definition of what an employee is, but from common law three basic areas have been identified:

For more information on employer-employee relationships, refer to Chapter 2 of Publication 15-A (PDF), Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide. If you would like the IRS to determine whether services are performed as an employee or independent contractor, you may submit Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding.

Unless you have requested a determination by filing Form SS-8, you generally have to report your nonemployee compensation on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business. You also need to complete Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax, and pay self-employment tax on your net earnings from self-employment, if you had net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more. This is the method by which self-employed persons pay into the social security and Medicare trust funds. Generally, there are no tax withholdings on this income. Thus, you may have been subject to the requirement to make quarterly estimated tax payments. If you did not make timely estimated tax payments, you may be assessed a penalty for an underpayment of estimated tax. Employees pay into the social security and Medicare trust funds, as well as income tax withholding, through payroll deductions.

References:

• Publication 15-A (PDF), Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide
• Form SS-8 (PDF), Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding
• Publication 533, Self-Employment Tax
• Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
• Tax Topic 762, Independent contractor vs. employee
• Tax Topic 407, Business Income
• Tax Topic 355, Estimated tax

Independent contractors report their income on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship), or you may qualify to use Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business (Sole Proprietorship). You should also be aware of Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax, which must be filed if net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more. This form is used to figure your social security and Medicare tax which is based on your net self-employment income. You may also need to file Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates & Trusts, if you do not make estimated tax payments.

References:

• Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
• Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business
• Instructions for Form 1040, Schedule C
• Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax
• Instructions for Form 1040, Schedule SE
• Publication 533, Self-employment Tax
• Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business
• Tax information for Business
• Form 2210 (PDF) Underpayment of Estimated Tax

You are responsible for Federal income tax and self-employment taxes on your income as an independent contractor. Self-employment taxes are your contributions to Social Security and Medicare. Your self-employment income and expenses will be reported on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business, or you may qualify to use Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business. You will also need to use Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax, to compute and report your social security and Medicare tax, if you had net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more. Since there is no withholding on your self-employment income, you may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments. This is done using a Form 1040ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals.

References:

• Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business
• Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business
• Instructions for Form 1040, Schedule C
• Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business
• Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax
• Form 1040ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals
• Tax Topic 355, Estimated Tax
• Tax Information for Business
• Publication 505,Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax

Services that a minister performs in the exercise of his or her ministry are covered under the Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA). That means they are exempt from Social Security and Medicare withholding, but they are responsible for paying self-employment tax on their net earnings from self-employment.

There are some members of religious orders, ministers, and Christian Science practitioners who have requested and been granted exemption from self-employment tax. There are also members of religious orders who have taken a vow of poverty and ministers who are covered solely by the social security laws of another country under a social security agreement between the United States and that other country.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

The procedures to request an exemption from self-employment tax are listed in Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Form 4361 (PDF), Application for Exemption from Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders, and Christian Science Practitioners
• Tax Topic 417, Earnings for clergy

These exemptions are generally irrevocable. To make this election, you must have completed Form 2031, Revocation of Exemption Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders and Christian Science Practitioners, by April 15, 2002. This period is extended beyond April 15, 2002, if you have a valid extension to file your 2001 Federal Income Tax Return. See the references below for additional information.

References:

• Form 2031 (PDF), Revocations of Exemption from Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders, and Christian Science Practitioners
• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for the Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers

No. The employer only has to pay social security and Medicare tax for the employee(s) who receive $1,400 or more in wages for the year. If the amount paid to any employee in a calendar year is less than $1,400, no social security or Medicare tax is owed for that employee. If social security and Medicare tax must be paid, the employee's portion of the social security and Medicare tax should be withheld also, unless the employer chooses to pay both the employer's share and the employee's share.

References:

• Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide; Do You Need to Pay Employment Taxes?
• Tax Topic 756, Employment Taxes for Household Employees

Health care costs paid directly to the medical facility is normally a nontaxable employee benefit provided that it is paid as part of an accident and health plan. Refer to Publication 535, Business Expenses, for more information on employee benefit programs.

References:

• Publication 535, Business Expenses
• Publication 15-B (PDF) , Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits

Household employees include housekeepers, maids, baby-sitters, gardeners, and others who work in or around your private residence as your employees. If you pay a household employee cash wages of $1,400 or more in 2003, you generally must withhold social security and Medicare taxes from all cash wages you pay to that employee. For specific information, refer to Tax Topic 756, Employment Taxes for Household Employees , or Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide .

References:

• Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide (For Wages Paid in 2002)
• Tax Topic 756, Employment taxes for household employees

Yes, the social security wages base limit is applied to each separately employer. The individual employee is subject to social security taxes up to the maximum amount from each employer. As a result of an employee working for two or more employers in the same year, social security tax in excess of the maximum wage base may be withheld from his or her pay. An employee can claim the excess of social security tax withheld from pay resulting from working for two or more employers as a credit against the employee's income tax when filing Form 1040 (PDF), U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. However, there is no provision for an employer to get a credit for the employer portion of social security tax paid in this situation. There is no wage limit on the Hospital Insurance tax.

References:

• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide

The employer is subject to the same social security tax rate and wage base limits as the employee. When the employee reaches their limitation, the employer also reaches the limitation and no longer has to pay social security taxes for that employee.

References:

• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide
• Publication 15-A (PDF), Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide

Yes, the employer is required to follow the withholding requirements for social security and medicare taxes even if an employee is collecting social security benefits. Per Chapter 9 of Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide, employee wages are subject to social security and Medicare taxes regardless of the employee's age or whether he or she is receiving social security benefits.

References:

• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide

The maximum wages subject to social security is $87,000 for 2003 resulting in a maximum for the employee portion of social security tax of $5,394.00 (of course, there is no limit on wages subject to medicare tax). Additional information can be found at the Social Security Administration web site.

References:

• Social Security Administration
• Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide

Yes, housing allowances for ministers are subject to social security and Medicare taxes, under the Self-Employment Contributions Act. However, if you are a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister of a church, a member of a religious order not under a vow of poverty, or a Christian Science practitioner who elected and was approved for exemption from social security coverage and self-employment tax, your housing allowance would not be subject to social security or Medicare taxes. Refer to Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers, for additional information.

References:

• Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers
• Form 4361 (PDF), Application for Exemption from Self-Employment Tax for Use by Ministers, Members of Religious Orders, and Christian Science Practitioners

A nanny is considered a household employee. A household employer only has to pay social security and Medicare tax for the employee(s) that receive $1,400 or more in cash wages for the year 2003. If the amount paid is less than $1,400, no social security or Medicare tax is owed. The taxes are 15.3% of cash wages. Your share is 7.65% and the employee's share is 7.65%. You can choose to pay the employee's share yourself and not withhold it. You may also be responsible for paying federal unemployment taxes. For directions on household employees, refer to Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide.

References:

• Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide
• Form 1040, Schedule H (PDF), Household Employment Taxes
• Tax Topic 756, Employment taxes for household employees

Your self-employment income is reported on Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business, or on Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business.

Your Medicare and social security taxes are reported on Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax.

As a self-employed person, you pay your Medicare and social security taxes the same way you pay your income taxes. If you expect to owe less than $1,000 in total taxes, you can pay them when you file your income tax return. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more in total taxes, you will need to make estimated tax payments. These payments are made quarterly using Form 1040ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals. You will need to figure these taxes at the beginning of the year. To learn about figuring and making estimated tax payments, please refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.

References:

• Form 1040, Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss from Business
• Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit from Business
• Form 1040, Schedule SE (PDF), Self-Employment Tax
• Tax Topic 554, Self-Employment Tax
• Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax
• Form 1040ES (PDF), Estimated Tax for Individuals

You will be considered a U.S. resident for tax purposes if you meet the substantial presence test for the calendar year. As an exempt individual, a J-2 visa holder will not initially meet this test.

For purposes of the substantial presence test, certain days of physical presence do not count, such as the days during which you were an exempt individual . Please refer to Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens , for a detailed explanation of this issue.

In general, U.S. social security and Medicare taxes apply to payments of wages for services performed as an employee in the United States, regardless of the citizenship or residence of either the employee or the employer. In limited situations, these taxes apply to wages for services performed outside the United States. This exception does not apply to a derivative visa holder.

References:

• Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities
• Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens

If social security tax and Medicare were withheld in error from pay received which was not subject to the taxes, you must first contact the employer who withheld the taxes for reimbursement. If you are unable to get a refund from the employer, file a claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service on Form 843 (PDF), Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement.

You must attach the following to your claim:

In addition to the documentation listed above foreign student visa holders should also attach the following:

if you are an exchange visitor, attach a copy of Form IAP-66 or DS-2019 to your claim.

File the claim, with attachments, with the IRS where the employer's returns were filed. If you do not know where the employer's returns were filed, send your claim to the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, PA 19255.

For more information, refer to Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens .

References:

• Form 843 (PDF), Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement
• Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens

To claim a refund of U.S. tax withheld you need to file Form 1040NR (PDF) , U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return . Therefore, you need to secure an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN. To secure an ITIN, you must file Form W-7 (PDF), Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number . For detailed information on applying for an ITIN, go to Tax Topic 857 , Individual Taxpayer Identification Number - W-7

References:

• Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Corporations
• Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens
• Publication 1915 (PDF), Understanding Your IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
• Form W-7 (PDF), Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
• Tax Topic 857, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number - Form W-7
• Form 1040NR (PDF) , U.S, Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return
• Tax Topic 857 , Individual Taxpayer Identification Number - Form W-7

Generally, services performed by you as a nonresident alien temporarily in the United States as a nonimmigrant under subparagraph (F), (J), (M), or (Q) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act are not covered under the social security and medicare programs if the services are performed to carry out the purpose for which you were admitted to the United States. This means that there should be no withholding of social security or Medicare taxes from the pay you receive for these services. These types of services are very limited, and generally include only on-campus work, practical training, and economic hardship employment. However, you are covered under the social security and medicare programs for these services if you are considered a resident alien, even though your nonimmigrant classification ("F," "J," "M," or "Q") remains the same. Social security and Medicare taxes will be withheld from your pay.

Additionally, any student who is enrolled and regularly attending classes at a school, college, or university may be exempt from social security and Medicare taxes on pay for services performed for such school, college, or university.

References:

• Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens
• Publication 597, Information on the United States-Canada Income Tax TreatyPublication 515 (PDF) , Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities