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Employee Liability for Additional Medicare Tax
Filing Status | Additional Medicare Tax due on the year' ... |
Married filing jointly | $250,000 |
Married filing separately | $125,000 |
Single | $200,000 |
Head of household (with qualifying perso ... | $200,000 |
What is the additional Medicare tax?
Feb 18, 2022 · All Medicare wages, railroad retirement (RRTA) compensation, and self-employment income subject to Medicare Tax are subject to Additional Medicare Tax, if paid in excess of the applicable threshold for the taxpayer's filing status. For more information on what wages are subject to Medicare Tax, see the chart on Special Rules for Various Types of …
What is the Medicare tax?
Jul 01, 2021 · Taxpayers who make over $200,000 as individuals or $250,000 for married couples are subject to an additional 0.9 percent tax on Medicare. The Additional Medicare Tax goes toward funding features of...
Do I have to pay additional Medicare tax if married?
If you are a high earner, you are subject to the 0.9% additional Medicare tax on earned income in excess of the threshold amount. The threshold amounts are based on your filing status: Single, head of household, or qualifying widow (er) — $200,000 Married filing jointly — $250,000 Married filing separately — $125,000
Who is responsible for withholding the additional Medicare tax?
Wages, RRTA compensation, and self-employment income that are subject to Medicare tax will also be subject to Additional Medicare Tax if in excess of the applicable threshold. Examples The following examples will assist you in understanding and …

Who has to pay the 3.8 Medicare tax?
The tax applies only to people with relatively high incomes. If you're single, you must pay the tax only if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is over $200,000. Married taxpayers filing jointly must have an AGI over $250,000 to be subject to the tax.
Do employers have to pay the additional Medicare tax?
An employer must begin withholding Additional Medicare Tax in the pay period in which the wages or railroad retirement (RRTA) compensation paid to an employee for the year exceeds $200,000.Feb 18, 2022
What is the additional Medicare tax for 2021?
2021 updates. For 2021, an employee will pay: 6.2% Social Security tax on the first $142,800 of wages (maximum tax is $8,853.60 [6.2% of $142,800]), plus. 1.45% Medicare tax on the first $200,000 of wages ($250,000 for joint returns; $125,000 for married taxpayers filing a separate return), plus.Oct 15, 2020
Who pays additional Medicare tax employer or employee?
An employer does not combine wages it pays to two employees to determine whether to withhold Additional Medicare Tax. An employer is required to withhold Additional Medicare Tax only when it pays wages in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year to an employee.Jan 18, 2022
Who is exempt from Medicare tax?
The Code grants an exemption from Social Security and Medicare taxes to nonimmigrant scholars, teachers, researchers, and trainees (including medical interns), physicians, au pairs, summer camp workers, and other non-students temporarily present in the United States in J-1, Q-1 or Q-2 status.Sep 30, 2021
Who pays additional Medicare tax 2021?
The Additional Medicare Tax applies to people who are at predetermined income levels. For the 2021 tax year, those levels are: Single tax filers: $200,000 and above. Married tax filers filing jointly: $250,000 and above.
Who needs to fill out Form 8959?
The tax applies to wages from employment, self-employment income and railroad retirement income, but if you are receiving W-2 income, the tax will most likely be withheld from your wages. Either way, anyone subject to the tax is required to file Form 8959 with their annual income tax filing.Oct 16, 2021
What is the additional Medicare tax for 2022?
0.9%2022 updates 2.35% Medicare tax (regular 1.45% Medicare tax plus 0.9% additional Medicare tax) on all wages in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 for joint returns; $125,000 for married taxpayers filing a separate return).
What is the additional Medicare tax?
The Additional Medicare Tax is an extra 0.9 percent tax on top of the standard tax payment for Medicare. The additional tax has been in place since 2013 as a part of the Affordable Care Act and applies to taxpayers who earn over a set income threshold.
What is the Medicare tax rate?
The standard Medicare tax is 1.45 percent, or 2.9 percent if you’re self-employed. Taxpayers who earn above $200,000, or $250,000 for married couples, will pay an additional 0.9 percent toward Medicare.
How is Medicare tax calculated?
How is the Additional Medicare Tax calculated? Medicare is paid for by taxpayer contributions to the Social Security Administration. Workers pay 1.45 percent of all earnings to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). Employers pay another 1.45 percent, for a total of 2.9 percent of your total earnings.
What are the benefits of the Affordable Care Act?
Notably, the Affordable Care Act provided some additional benefits to Medicare enrollees, including: lower premiums for Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans. lower prescription drug costs. closure of the Part D benefit gap, or “ donut hole ”.
How much Medicare do self employed people pay in 2021?
The Additional Medicare Tax applies to people who are at predetermined income levels. For the 2021 tax year, those levels are: Single tax filers: $200,000 and above. Married tax filers filing jointly: $250,000 and above.
How much tax do you pay on income above the threshold?
For example, if you’re a single tax filer with an employment income of $250,000, you’d pay the standard 1.45 percent on $200,000 of your income, and then 2.35 percent on the remaining $50,000.
Does RRTA count toward income tax?
Incomes from wages, self-employment, and other compensation, including Railroad Retirement (RRTA) compensation, all count toward the income the IRS measures. If you’re subject to this tax, your employer can withhold it from your paychecks, or you can make estimated payments to the IRS throughout the year.
What is the extra tax on Medicare?
Under the Affordable Care Act, taxpayers who earn above a set income level (depending on filing status) pay 0.9% more into Medicare on top of the regular contribution. This extra tax is called the Additional Medicare Tax.
What is the threshold for Medicare tax?
What is the Income Threshold for Additional Medicare Tax? If you are a high earner, you are subject to the 0.9% additional Medica re tax on earned income in excess of the threshold amount . The threshold amounts are based on your filing status: Single, head of household, or qualifying widow (er) — $200,000.
How much does my spouse pay in Medicare?
Your spouse earns $10,000. Since your joint earned income ($235,000) isn’t more than $250,000, you won’t owe Additional Medicare Tax. However, your employer will still withhold the tax from your paycheck on wages over $200,000.
When does Medicare start withholding?
Your filing status isn’t important for this. Withholding starts when your wages and other compensation are more than $200,000 for the year.
Why don't people pay for Medicare?
Most people don’t pay for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) because its funded by taxpayer contributions to the Social Security Administration. Employees pay 1.45% of their earnings, employers pay another 1.45%, and self-employed individuals pay the full 2.9% on their own.
Does Medicare tax withheld from paycheck?
Any tax withheld from your paycheck that you’re not liable for will be applied against your taxes on your income tax return. If you earn $200,000 or less, your employer will not withhold any of the additional Medicare tax. This could happen even if you’re liable for the tax.
Where to enter Medicare wages and tips on W-2?
Enter your Medicare wages and tips from box 5 of your Form W-2. If you have more than one Form W-2, enter the total of the amounts from box 5 of all Forms W-2. If you are filing a joint return, also include your spouse’s wages and tips.
What line on 4137 is unreported?
Enter unreported tips from line 6 of Form 4137, Social Security and Medicare Tax on Unreported Tip Income. If you are filing a joint return, also include the amount from line 6 of your spouse's Form 4137.
What is the Medicare tax rate?
The Medicare tax rate is 2.9% of the employee's taxable wages, with 1.45% paid by the employee and 1.45% paid by the employer. The Additional Medicare Tax rate is 0.9% for the employee only. The employer doesn't have to pay this additional tax. 1.
What happens if an employee's withholding is miscalculated?
If an employee's withholding is miscalculated and they are owed a refund, the employee must request the refund directly from the IRS. Don't attempt to give the employee a refund or adjust the employee's withholding on a miscalculation of federal income tax or FICA tax.
Is fringe benefit taxable?
Some wages and fringe benefits are taxable to the employee for income tax purposes , but some wages may not be taxable to the employee for Social Security and Medicare taxes, including the Additional Medicare Tax. You must exclude the wages not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes when you calculate the wages subject to ...
Is there regular withholding for self employment?
There is no regular withholding for self-employment tax, so if you expect that your income might be above the levels above, you may need to increase your estimated tax payments to account for the additional Medicare tax. 2.
Do you have to exclude wages from Medicare?
You must exclude the wages not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes when you calculate the wages subject to the Additional Medicare Tax as you work on payroll. IRS Publication 15-B Employer's Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits has a list of wages that are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Does Medicare tax self employed?
The new Medicare tax also affects self-employed individuals who earn over a specific amount. If you are both an employee and self-employed, all sources of earned income (as opposed to investment income) are combined to reach the levels where the Additional Medicare Tax is applicable.
What is additional Medicare tax?
The requirement is based on the amount of Medicare wages and net self-employment income a taxpayer earns that exceeds a threshold based on filing status.
What is Medicare surtax?
The Net Investment Income Tax, also referred to as the "Unearned Income Medicare Contribution Tax," is another surtax that's imposed at 3.8% when investment income, combined with other income, surpasses the same thresholds that apply to the Additional Medicare Tax. 6
How to calculate Medicare tax?
Step 1: Calculate the Additional Medicare Tax on any wages in excess of the applicable threshold for the filing status, without regard to whether any tax was withheld. Step 2: Reduce the applicable threshold for the filing status by the total amount of Medicare wages received, but not below zero.
What line is Medicare adjustment on 8959?
An adjustment can be made on Form 8959 beginning at line 10, if you're calculating the AMT on both self-employment income and wages. This adjustment functions to ensure that the Additional Medicare Tax is calculated only once on wages and only once on self-employment income when they're combined and exceed the threshold amount.
How much does Barney and Betty owe in Medicare?
Barney earned $75,000 in Medicare wages, and Betty earned $200,000 in Medicare wages, so their combined total wages are $275,000. Barney and Betty will owe the Additional Medicare Tax on the amount by which their combined wages exceed $250,000, the threshold amount for married couples filing jointly.
What is the Medicare tax threshold?
The Additional Medicare Tax applies when a taxpayer's wages from all jobs exceed the threshold amount, and employers are required to withhold Additional Medicare Tax on Medicare wages in excess of $200,000 that they pay to an employee. The same threshold applies to everyone regardless of filing status.
How much Medicare does Albert owe?
His excess amount is $25,000, or $225,000 less $200,000. Albert's Additional Medicare Tax is therefore $225, or 0.9% of $25,000.
How much Medicare tax is due in 2013?
Starting with the 2013 tax year, you may be subject to an additional 0.9 percent Medicare tax on wages that exceed a certain threshold. The Additional Medicare Tax is charged separately from, and in addition to, the Medicare taxes you likely pay on most of your earnings.
What is the threshold for married filing jointly for 2020?
On the other hand, if you were married filing separately, you could end up owing more tax, because the threshold is only $125,000.
How to fill out 8959?
Working through Form 8959 1 Fill out Part I if you received W-2 income. 2 Fill out Part II if you received self-employment income. 3 Fill out Part III if you received RRTA
How many parts are on Form 8959?
Form 8959 consists of three parts. Each part includes a short calculation to figure out how much Additional Medicare Tax you owe, if any. You complete only the part of the form that applies to the type of income you received. Fill out Part I if you received W-2 income. Fill out Part II if you received self-employment income.
Does the above article give tax advice?
The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.
Do you have to file 8959 with W-2?
Either way, anyone subject to the tax is required to file Form 8959 with their annual income tax filing.
