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# Social Security

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## Social Security Tax Rates

Office of the Chief Actuary 

OASDI & Medicare tax rates

Maximum taxable earnings

   Tax rates for Social Security's two trust funds,    the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund    and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund,   are shown in the table below.    
   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.   
Calendar yearsTax rates as a percent of taxable earningsTax rate for employees and employers,   eachTax rate for self-employed workersOASIDITotalOASIDITotal1937-491.000--1.000------19501.500--1.500------1951-531.500--1.5002.250--2.2501954-562.000--2.0003.000--3.0001957-582.0000.2502.2503.00000.37503.37519592.2500.2502.5003.37500.37503.7501960-612.7500.2503.0004.12500.37504.50019622.8750.2503.1254.32500.37504.7001963-653.3750.2503.6255.02500.37505.40019663.5000.3503.8505.27500.52505.80019673.5500.3503.9005.37500.52505.90019683.3250.4753.8005.08750.71255.80019693.7250.4754.2005.58750.71256.30019703.6500.5504.2005.47500.82506.3001971-724.0500.5504.6006.07500.82506.90019734.3000.5504.8506.20500.79507.0001974-774.3750.5754.9506.18500.81507.00019784.2750.7755.0506.01001.09007.10019794.3300.7505.0806.01001.04007.05019804.5200.5605.0806.27250.77757.05019814.7000.6505.3507.02500.97508.00019824.5750.8255.4006.81251.23758.05019834.7750.6255.4007.11250.93758.0501984-87 a5.2000.5005.70010.40001.000011.4001988-89 a5.5300.5306.06011.06001.060012.1201990-93 b5.6000.6006.20011.20001.200012.4001994-96 b5.2600.9406.20010.52001.880012.4001997-99 b5.3500.8506.20010.70001.700012.4002000-15 b, c5.3000.9006.20010.60001.800012.4002016-18 b, d5.0151.1856.20010.0302.37012.4002019 and later b5.3000.9006.20010.60001.800012.400a   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. d   Public Law 114-74, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, temporarily re-allocated a portion  of the OASI tax rate to DI for calendar years 2016 through 2018. Beginning in 2019, the  tax rates for each fund revert to the rates in effect from 2000 through 2015.  Footer menu