How can I completely opt out of Social Security payments? Is it possible?

Tax professional here. Unfortunately, there are very few ways to legally opt out of Social Security taxes, and they're quite restrictive. The main exemptions are: 1. Members of certain religious groups that are conscientiously opposed to accepting Social Security benefits and have existed since 1950, like the Amish or Mennonites. This requires filing Form 4029 and proving you're a legitimate member of such communities. 2. Nonresident aliens working in the US temporarily on specific visas. 3. Some government employees who are covered by alternative retirement systems. Simply joining a religious organization for tax purposes wouldn't work - the IRS requires these groups to have been established for decades with a proven track record of caring for their elderly members without government assistance.

I was in the same boat as you a couple years ago and discovered a service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me understand my options regarding Social Security taxes. They analyzed my specific situation and explained exactly what exemptions might apply to me, which unfortunately weren't many. The tool walks you through all the legitimate ways to optimize your tax situation while staying 100% legal. They have specialized knowledge about religious exemptions and can tell you exactly which groups qualify and the requirements for membership (it's way more strict than most people realize).

Following up about my experience with taxr.ai - I decided to try it after asking about it here. They confirmed what others said about Social Security exemptions being nearly impossible, but they found several other tax optimization strategies I hadn't considered. Their analysis showed I could legally reduce my overall tax burden by about $4,800 per year through better retirement account strategies and business structure adjustments. The service paid for itself many times over. They're not magicians who can make Social Security obligations disappear, but they definitely know their stuff when it comes to legitimate tax optimization.

If you're really struggling to get answers from the IRS about Social Security exemptions, I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was trying for WEEKS to get through to someone at the IRS about my specific situation, always getting disconnected or waiting on hold for hours. I was super skeptical, but Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent I spoke with gave me the definitive answers about my specific situation and Social Security obligations. Turns out I had been getting incomplete information online.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a completely different issue for months. Not only did it work, but I was connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly what others here have said - there's basically no way to opt out of Social Security unless you're Amish or in a very specific situation. But at least I got a definitive answer from the source instead of wondering if I was missing something. Having wasted hours on hold multiple times before, this service was absolutely worth it. Sometimes being proven wrong is a good thing!

You should look into becoming a minister and taking a vow of poverty. I've heard that's one way to get exempted from Social Security taxes. There's some paperwork involved but it might be worth looking into.

Honestly, instead of trying to opt out of Social Security (which is nearly impossible), you might want to focus on maximizing your retirement accounts like 401k, IRA, HSA etc. These give you tax advantages now while letting you control your own investments. The tax benefits can offset some of what you're paying into Social Security.

I understand your frustration with Social Security taxes - I felt the same way when I was starting my career. After researching this extensively, I can confirm what others have said: legitimate opt-outs are extremely limited and strictly regulated. The reality is that Social Security isn't just a retirement program - it also provides disability and survivor benefits that protect you and your family right now. Even if you're skeptical about future solvency, the program has never missed a payment in its 90-year history, and even worst-case projections show reduced benefits, not zero benefits. Rather than focusing on opting out (which likely isn't possible for your situation), consider this approach: maximize your tax-advantaged accounts first. If you're not already maxing out your 401(k), IRA, and HSA (if eligible), you're missing out on immediate tax savings that could be much more significant than your Social Security contributions. These accounts give you the investment control you're looking for while providing real tax benefits today. The 6.2% you pay into Social Security also comes with an employer match of 6.2%, so you're actually getting more value than it appears on your paycheck stub.