Is the max OASDI limit $168,000 combined for married filing jointly or per person?

The OASDI tax (commonly known as Social Security tax) limit applies individually to each person, not to the married couple as a whole. The wage base limit of $168,000 and the maximum tax of $10,453.20 apply separately to each spouse. So if both you and your wife earn above the $168,000 threshold, you would each pay the maximum OASDI tax of $10,453.20, for a total of $20,906.40 between the two of you. Your filing status (married filing jointly) doesn't affect the OASDI limits - it's strictly based on individual earnings.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! After spending hours trying to understand all these tax rules, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was a total game-changer. I uploaded my W-2s and my wife's, and it instantly showed us how the OASDI limits applied to each of us separately. It explained that even though we file jointly, Social Security taxes are calculated individually based on each person's earnings.

I was honestly skeptical about taxr.ai when I first heard about it, but I decided to give it a try with my complicated tax situation. My husband and I both had multiple W-2s, and I was convinced we were overpaying on Social Security taxes. The tool confirmed my suspicion - it showed that I had paid OASDI on $185,000 total across my jobs, which is $17,000 over the limit! It explained exactly how to claim that overpayment back on our tax return and showed me where on Form 1040 to enter it. Saved us over $1,000 that would have just disappeared. Now I understand that the $168,000 limit and $10,453.20 max OASDI apply separately to each of us, but also separately across all employers for the same person.

If you're having trouble getting answers about OASDI limits or any tax questions directly from the IRS, I completely understand your frustration. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone who could explain how the Social Security wage base worked with multiple employers. Finally found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes instead of the usual hours on hold. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that each person has their own $168,000 OASDI limit regardless of filing status, and walked me through how to claim a refund for the excess Social Security tax I paid through my multiple jobs.

I have to eat my words from earlier - I tried Claimyr after my frustration boiled over with trying to reach the IRS about my OASDI overpayment issue. Got connected to an agent in about 25 minutes (which is INSANE compared to my previous attempts). The agent was super helpful and confirmed that yes, the $168,000 wage base limit is per person, NOT per married couple. She even emailed me the exact form I needed to recover the excess Social Security tax I paid when my two employers both withheld OASDI without knowing about each other. This saved me hours of frustration and potentially over $2,000 in taxes that I would have just lost.

Something nobody's mentioned yet - if you have multiple employers and your total income goes over the $168,000 OASDI limit, you'll likely overpay your Social Security tax during the year. Each employer withholds 6.2% up to the limit because they don't know what other employers are paying you. You'll need to claim that excess as a credit on your tax return to get it back.

Does anyone know if the OASDI limit will increase for 2025? It seems like it goes up almost every year and I'm trying to plan ahead...

Just wanted to add some clarification that might help with your planning - the OASDI tax is actually deducted from your paychecks throughout the year by your employers, so you don't need to calculate or pay it separately when you file your taxes. Each employer withholds 6.2% of your wages up to the annual limit ($168,000 for 2024, $175,800 for 2025 as someone mentioned). The key thing to remember is that if you change jobs during the year or have multiple employers simultaneously, each employer treats your OASDI withholding independently. So if you made $100,000 at Job A and $80,000 at Job B, you'd have OASDI withheld on the full $180,000 even though you should only pay it on $168,000. That's when you'd claim the excess back on your tax return. Your spouse's income has absolutely no impact on your individual OASDI calculation - you each get your own $168,000 limit regardless of your combined household income or filing status.

I just went through this exact situation last year and can confirm what others have said - the OASDI limits are completely individual, not combined for married couples. My husband and I both earn over the $168,000 limit, so we each paid the maximum $10,453.20 in Social Security tax. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep track of your year-to-date OASDI withholding if you switch jobs mid-year. I changed employers in August and my new company started withholding OASDI from zero again, even though I had already hit the limit at my previous job. I ended up overpaying by about $800 and had to claim it back as a credit on our tax return. The good news is that tax software usually catches this automatically when you enter multiple W-2 forms, but it's worth double-checking the math yourself. Your filing status (joint vs separate) has zero impact on OASDI calculations - it's purely based on individual earnings.