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# Social Security

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## Social Security & Medicare Tax Rates

Office of the Chief Actuary 

Tax rates for each Social Security trust fund

Maximum taxable earnings

     Social Security's *Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance* (OASDI)     program and Medicare's *Hospital Insurance* (HI) program are financed      primarily by employment taxes. Tax rates are set by      law (see sections     1401, 3101, and 3111 of the Internal Revenue Code) and apply to earnings up to a      maximum amount for OASDI. 

     The rates shown reflect the amounts received by the trust funds.      In certain years, the effective rate paid by employees, employers, and/or      self-employed workers was less than the rate received by the trust funds, with      the difference covered by general revenue. See the footnotes for details.     

| 1937-49                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.000 | --    | 1.000 | --     | --    | --     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|-------|-------|--------|-------|--------|
| 1950                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 1.500 | --    | 1.500 | --     | --    | --     |
| 1951-53                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 1.500 | --    | 1.500 | 2.250  | --    | 2.250  |
| 1954-56                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.000 | --    | 2.000 | 3.000  | --    | 3.000  |
| 1957-58                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 2.250 | --    | 2.250 | 3.375  | --    | 3.375  |
| 1959                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2.500 | --    | 2.500 | 3.750  | --    | 3.750  |
| 1960-61                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.000 | --    | 3.000 | 4.500  | --    | 4.500  |
| 1962                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 3.125 | --    | 3.125 | 4.700  | --    | 4.700  |
| 1963-65                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 3.625 | --    | 3.625 | 5.400  | --    | 5.400  |
| 1966                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 3.850 | 0.350 | 4.200 | 5.800  | 0.350 | 6.150  |
| 1967                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 3.900 | 0.500 | 4.400 | 5.900  | 0.500 | 6.400  |
| 1968                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 3.800 | 0.600 | 4.400 | 5.800  | 0.600 | 6.400  |
| 1969-70                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 4.200 | 0.600 | 4.800 | 6.300  | 0.600 | 6.900  |
| 1971-72                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 4.600 | 0.600 | 5.200 | 6.900  | 0.600 | 7.500  |
| 1973                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 4.850 | 1.000 | 5.850 | 7.000  | 1.000 | 8.000  |
| 1974-77                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 4.950 | 0.900 | 5.850 | 7.000  | 0.900 | 7.900  |
| 1978                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 5.050 | 1.000 | 6.050 | 7.100  | 1.000 | 8.100  |
| 1979-80                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 5.080 | 1.050 | 6.130 | 7.050  | 1.050 | 8.100  |
| 1981                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 5.350 | 1.300 | 6.650 | 8.000  | 1.300 | 9.300  |
| 1982-83                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 5.400 | 1.300 | 6.700 | 8.050  | 1.300 | 9.350  |
| 1984 a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 5.700 | 1.300 | 7.000 | 11.400 | 2.600 | 14.000 |
| 1985 a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 5.700 | 1.350 | 7.050 | 11.400 | 2.700 | 14.100 |
| 1986-87 a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5.700 | 1.450 | 7.150 | 11.400 | 2.900 | 14.300 |
| 1988-89 a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 6.060 | 1.450 | 7.510 | 12.120 | 2.900 | 15.020 |
| 1990 and later b, c                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | 6.200 | 1.450 | 7.650 | 12.400 | 2.900 | 15.300 |
| a   In 1984 only, an immediate credit of 0.3 percent of taxable wages was  allowed against the OASDI taxes paid by employees, resulting in an  effective employee tax rate of 5.4 percent. The OASI and DI trust funds, however,   received general revenue equivalent to 0.3 percent of taxable wages for  1984. Similar credits of 2.7 percent, 2.3 percent, and 2.0 percent were allowed  against the combined OASDI and HI taxes on net earnings from self-employment  in 1984, 1985, and 1986-89, respectively.b   Beginning in 1990, self-employed workers are allowed a deduction, for purposes   of computing their net earnings, equal to half of the combined OASDI and HI   contributions that would be payable without regard to the contribution and   benefit base. The OASDI contribution rate is then applied to net earnings after   this deduction, but subject to the OASDI base.c   For 2010, most employers were exempt from paying the employer share of OASDI   tax on wages paid to certain qualified individuals hired after February 3. For   2011 and 2012, the OASDI tax rate is reduced by 2 percentage points for employees and   for self-employed workers, resulting in a 4.2 percent effective tax rate for   employees and a 10.4 percent effective tax rate for self-employed workers. These   reductions in tax revenue due to lower tax rates are being made up   by transfers from the general fund of the Treasury to the OASI and DI trust   funds. Beginning in 2013, an additional HI tax of 0.9 percent is assessed on   earned income exceeding $125,000 for each married individual filing separately, $200,000 for individuals filing as single, and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. This additional HI tax rate is *not* reflected in   the tax rates shown in the table.  Footer menu |