2015 Social Security and Medicare Tax Withholding Rates and Limits
| Tax | 2014 Limit | 2015 Limit |
| Social Security Gross | $117,000.00 | $118,500.00 |
| Social Security Liability | $7,254.00 | $7,347.00 |
| Medicare Gross | No Limit | No Limit |
| Medicare Liability | No Limit | No Limit |
Full Answer
What was the maximum Social Security tax in 2015?
This increase meant that the maximum Social Security tax that is payable by an employee in 2015 will be $7,347.00 – which is an increase of $93.00 from the 2014 maximum tax of $7,254.00. Employers will match the employee’s tax.
What is the tax rate for Medicare?
Depending on the amount of a person’s total taxable wages, the combined amount of his or her Medicare and Social Security tax rate would range anywhere between 7.65 percent (6.2 percent + 1.45 percent) to 8.55 percent (6.2 percent + 1.45 percent + 0.9 percent) on Medicare wages that are over $200,000 per year. The combined employer tax rate remains at 7.65 percent.
What is the Medicare tax rate for 200,000?
For the purpose of withholding, covered wages that are over $200,000 per year are taxed at a total rate of 2.35 percent (1.45 percent + 0.9 percent), regardless of a taxpayer’s filing status. The amount of the additional Medicare tax is not matched by an individual’s employer.
Is there a maximum amount of Medicare contributions for 2015?
Therefore, there is no maximum employee or employer contribution amount for Medicare tax for 2015. All covered wages will be subject to Medicare tax at a rate of 1.45 percent. Employers will match the employee’s tax.
Is Medicare tax paid in excess of threshold?
All wages that are currently subject to the Medicare Tax are subject to the Additional Medicare Tax, if they are paid in excess of the applicable threshold for an individual’s filing status. Also, all Railroad Retirement Tax Act compensation that is currently subject to Medicare Tax is also subject to the Additional Medicare Tax if it is paid in excess to the applicable threshold for an individual’s filing status.
How many people will pay Social Security taxes in 2015?
Of the estimated 168 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2015, about 10 million will pay higher taxes because of the increase in the taxable maximum, the SSA said. Social Security and Medicare payroll withholding are collected together as the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax.
How much is Medicare tax?
For most Americans, the Medicare portion of the FICA tax remains at 2.9 percent, of which half ( 1.45 percent) is paid by employees and half by employers. Unlike Social Security, there is no limit on the amount of earnings (which includes salary and bonus income) subject to the Medicare portion of the tax. This results, for most American wage ...
What is the tax rate for Medicare and Social Security?
Note: The 7.65% tax rate is the combined rate for Social Security and Medicare. The Social Security portion is 6.20% on earnings up to the applicable taxable maximum amount. The Medicare portion is 1.45% on all earnings.
What is the FICA tax rate?
This results, for most American wage earners, in a total FICA tax of 15.3 percent (Social Security plus Medicare), half of which is paid by employees and half by employers. Again, self-employed individuals are responsible for the entire FICA tax rate of 15.3 percent (12.4 percent Social Security plus 2.9 percent Medicare).
What is the FUTA rate for unemployment?
While the standard Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) rate is 6 percent on the first $7,000 of covered wages, employers generally receive a FUTA credit reduction of 5.4 percent for state unemployment insurance (UI) taxes they pay, reducing the FUTA rate for most employers to 0.6 percent of wages paid up to a limit of $7,000 per worker, or $42 per employee per year. However, states that have outstanding federal UI loan balances are subject to reduced tax credits, resulting in higher FUTA taxes for employers in those states.
What percentage of Medicare is employer paid?
The Additional Medicare Tax raises the wage earner’s portion on compensation above the threshold amounts to 2.35 percent; the employer-paid portion of the Medicare tax on these amounts remains at 1.45 percent.
Will Social Security increase in 2016?
On Oct. 15, 2015, the Social Security Administration announced that there will be no increase in monthly Social Security benefit payments in 2016, and that the amount of wages subject to Social Security taxes will also remain unchanged at $118,500 in 2016. See the SHRM Online article Social Security Payroll Tax Threshold Unchanged for 2016.
What is the tax rate for Social Security?
The current tax rate for social security is 6.2% for the employer and 6.2% for the employee, or 12.4% total. The current rate for Medicare is 1.45% for the employer and 1.45% for the employee, or 2.9% total. Refer to Publication 15, (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide for more information; or Publication 51, (Circular A), Agricultural Employer’s Tax Guide for agricultural employers. Refer to Notice 2020-65 PDF and Notice 2021-11 PDF for information allowing employers to defer withholding and payment of the employee's share of Social Security taxes of certain employees.
What is the wage base limit for 2021?
The wage base limit is the maximum wage that's subject to the tax for that year. For earnings in 2021, this base is $142,800. Refer to "What's New" in Publication 15 for the current wage limit for social security wages; or Publication 51 for agricultural employers. There's no wage base limit for Medicare tax.
What is the FICA 751?
Topic No. 751 Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates. Taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) are composed of the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance taxes, also known as social security taxes, and the hospital insurance tax, also known as Medicare taxes. Different rates apply for these taxes.
Is there a wage base limit for Medicare?
There's no wage base limit for Medicare tax. All covered wages are subject to Medicare tax.
What is the backup withholding rate for 2015?
The backup withholding rate is also unchanged for 2015. Payers of reportable payments to non-employee payees (i.e ., independent contractors and other service providers who are not on the payroll as employees) must backup withhold 28% for federal income tax if the payee fails to provide a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) - either a Social Security Number (SSN), IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN) - or provides one that is obviously incorrect.
How to determine the value of withholding allowances?
Determine the value of withholding allowances by multiplying the number of withholding allowances claimed by the value of one withholding allowance for the appropriate payroll period.
What is the percentage method used for?
This method works for any number of withholding allowances and any amount of wages. Separate tables apply for each pay period and an employee's marital status.
How much Medicare tax do self employed pay?
Medicare taxes for the self-employed. Even if you are self-employed, the 2.9% Medicare tax applies. Typically, people who are self-employed pay a self-employment tax of 15.3% total – which includes the 2.9% Medicare tax – on the first $142,800 of net income in 2021. 2. The self-employed tax consists of two parts:
What are the taxes that are withheld from paychecks?
Together, these two income taxes are known as the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax.
How is Medicare financed?
1-800-557-6059 | TTY 711, 24/7. Medicare is financed through two trust fund accounts held by the United States Treasury: Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. Supplementary Insurance Trust Fund. The funds in these trusts can only be used for Medicare.
What is Medicare Part A?
Medicare Part A premiums from people who are not eligible for premium-free Part A. The Hospital Insurance Trust Fund pays for Medicare Part A benefits and Medicare Program administration costs. It also pays for Medicare administration costs and fighting Medicare fraud and abuse.
What is the surtax rate for 2021?
The additional tax (0.9% in 2021) is the sole responsibility of the employee and is not split between the employee and employer. If you make more than $200,000 per year in 2021, the 0.9 percent surtax only applies to the amount you make that is over $200,000.
How many parts are there in self employed tax?
The self-employed tax consists of two parts:
When was the Affordable Care Act passed?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010 to help make health insurance available to more Americans. To aid in this effort, the ACA added an additional Medicare tax for high income earners.
