Is it normal for an employer to take out their portion from my paycheck?

This is definitely not normal or legal. The employer portion of FICA taxes (which is 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare combined) should be paid BY the employer, not deducted from your wages. Your paycheck should show your gross wages, then deductions for YOUR portion of Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%). The employer is responsible for matching those amounts with their own funds - not by taking more from your paycheck. It sounds like either: 1) There's a mistake in how the payroll system is reporting the deductions on your pay stub, or 2) Your employer is illegally passing their tax burden onto you. I'd recommend politely bringing this to HR's attention with a simple question about the deduction. You can frame it as wanting to understand your pay stub better rather than accusing them of doing something wrong. If they confirm they're actually taking the employer portion from your pay, that's a serious issue that should be reported to your state's Department of Labor.

I went through something similar last year and was totally confused by my paystub. I tried calling the IRS but literally spent hours on hold and never got through. Then I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that analyzed my pay stubs and tax documents. They have this cool feature where you just upload your paystub and it breaks down exactly what should be withheld vs what your employer is actually taking out. It flagged that my employer was incorrectly calculating the employer portion of FICA and helped me understand exactly what laws they were violating. I was able to show this analysis to my manager with confidence instead of just vaguely complaining something seemed off. Way easier than trying to figure out all the tax codes myself!

Just wanted to follow up here! I tried taxr.ai after asking about it and wow - it was super helpful. I uploaded my 1099 and a couple pay statements, and it immediately identified that my client was incorrectly treating me as both an employee AND contractor for tax purposes. The report showed exactly which parts of my deductions were improper with references to specific IRS guidelines. I forwarded the analysis to my client and they actually admitted their payroll person didn't understand contractor classifications! They've fixed it going forward and are even working on getting me reimbursed for the incorrect deductions from the past few months. Definitely saved me from a major headache come tax time. I'd still be confused if I hadn't checked.

If your employer is actually taking their portion of taxes from your paycheck, you need to speak with an IRS agent directly. I had a similar issue and spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS - it was absolutely maddening. I finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed my employer was violating tax law and gave me specific guidance on how to address it, including which forms to file. Saved me a ton of stress and probably thousands in improper deductions over the year.

Well, I need to eat my words. After being super skeptical about Claimyr, I decided to try it anyway because I've been trying to reach the IRS about a similar payroll tax issue for THREE WEEKS with no luck. I was absolutely shocked when I got a call back saying an agent was ready to talk to me. Spoke with a really helpful IRS representative who confirmed that my employer's practice of deducting their portion of FICA from my paycheck is 100% illegal. She even sent me documentation I can show my employer. For anyone dealing with this issue - don't wait like I did. The IRS takes this seriously but you need to actually reach them first, which was the hardest part until I used this service. Still can't believe it actually worked!

Has anyone considered this might just be a mistake in how the paystub is displaying the information? At my company, the employer portion SHOWS on the stub but it's just for transparency - it's not actually being deducted from wages. Maybe check the math on your gross vs net pay to see if they're actually taking it?

This happened at my last job - turns out they were having cash flow problems and cutting corners illegally. If a company is willing to do this, they're likely cutting other corners too. Start looking for another job immediately while you address this issue. Companies that steal from employees are rarely great places to build a career.

This is absolutely illegal and you need to act fast. As others have mentioned, employers are required by law to pay their portion of FICA taxes (7.65%) separately - they cannot deduct it from your wages. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. Document everything - save digital and physical copies of all pay stubs 2. Calculate exactly how much they've taken (sounds like about $294 per paycheck based on your math) 3. Contact your state's Department of Labor to file a wage complaint 4. Consider filing a complaint with the IRS since this involves tax law violations The fact that this is happening at a small firm makes me wonder if they're struggling financially and trying to cut costs illegally. I'd also start quietly looking for other opportunities - companies that are willing to steal from employees often have other serious problems. You mentioned being hesitant since you just started, but remember: they're the ones breaking the law, not you. You have every right to be paid correctly according to federal and state regulations. Don't let them take advantage of you being new.