If you're self-employed, you pay the combined employee and employer amount. This amount is a 12.4% Social Security tax on up to $176,100 of your net earnings and a 2.9% Medicare tax on your entire net earnings.
Substantial income includes wages, earnings from self-employment, interest, dividends, and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return. Between $25,000 and $34,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50% of your benefits. More than $34,000, up to 85% of your benefits may be taxable.
The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%. The rate consists of two parts: 12.4% for social security (old-age, survivors, and disability insurance) and 2.9% for Medicare (hospital insurance).
1099 contractors pay the full 15.3% from the money they earn. They also need to file quarterly estimated tax payments and pay quarterly estimated federal and state taxes.
1099 contractors should set aside 20-35% of their income to pay taxes. However, it's best to consult with an accountant as each case is unique. The amount you will owe depends on your tax liability from self-employment, your tax bracket, and any deductions and credits for which you qualify.
As a self-employed individual, estimated tax is the method used to pay Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes; this is because you do not have an employer withholding these taxes for you. Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals PDF, is used to figure these taxes.
Employers and employees each pay 6.2 percent of wages up to the taxable maximum of $176,100 (in 2025), while the self-employed pay 12.4 percent. The payroll tax rates are set by law, and for OASI and DI, apply to earnings up to a certain amount.
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
What is the 1099 tax rate? The tax rate for 1099 income is 15.3%, combining 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare. If you are a high earner, you may also need to pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax. Federal income tax calculations are required too.
At what age is Social Security no longer taxable? Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
Federal withholding tax from Social Security
You can choose a withholding rate of 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%. You can change or stop withholding by completing and submitting a new W-4V.
Nevertheless, independent contractors are usually responsible for paying the Self-Employment Tax and income tax. With that in mind, it's best practice to save about 25–30% of your self-employed income to pay for taxes. And, remember, the more deductions you find, the less you'll have to pay.
That “30% rule of thumb” comes from the fact that self-employment income is taxed at an additional 15.3% to make sure that self-employed people still pay Medicare and Social Security tax.
To qualify for retirement benefits, you generally need 40 credits, roughly 10 years of work. Your 1099 income, which is your gross earnings before deductions, helps calculate these credits. It's important to understand that your 1099 income affects Social Security benefits.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.
The Social Security 5-year rule refers specifically to disability benefits. It requires that you must have worked five out of the last ten years immediately before your disability onset to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
The law sets the self-employment tax rate as a percentage of your net earnings from self-employment. This rate consists of 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare taxes.
All states and the District of Columbia impose these taxes except Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. The highest state sales taxes are in California (7.25%), Indiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Tennessee (7.0% in each).
You calculate net earnings by subtracting your business expenses from the gross income of your gig or other self-employment income. You must pay Social Security tax on most earnings and Medicare tax on all earnings. Self-employed workers are taxed at 15.3% of their net profit.
Self-employment tax applies to self-employed people who earned more than $400 during the year. The self-employment tax rate — a combination of Social Security and Medicare taxes — is 15.3% for 2024 and 2025. You'll use Schedule C to calculate net earnings and Schedule SE to calculate how much tax you owe.
Social Security's special minimum benefit pays at least $49.40 per month in 2023 and $50.90 in 2024. Social Security's special minimum benefit tops out at $1,033.50 per month in 2023 and $1,066.50 in 2024. You'll receive 100% of the benefit if you file at full retirement age or later.
The Bottom Line. A few groups are exempt from paying taxes into the Social Security system. Most foreign academics and researchers are exempt if they're nonimmigrant and nonresident aliens. Self-employed workers who make less than $400 annually don't have to pay Social Security taxes, either.