Social security and Medicare employer tax being deducted from my paycheck - is this correct?

This is definitely not normal or legal. The employer portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA) should be paid by your employer, not deducted from your paycheck. As an employee, you should only be paying 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare (total 7.65%) of your wages. Your employer is required to match this amount with their own funds - they cannot pass this cost onto you by deducting it from your wages. What you're describing sounds like either a significant payroll error or potentially wage theft. It's important to address this right away because this impacts not just your take-home pay but also your reported earnings for tax purposes. I would recommend gathering your pay stubs as evidence and then speaking with your payroll department or HR first rather than your direct supervisor. Frame it as "I think there might be a mistake on my paycheck" rather than an accusation. If they don't resolve it, you may need to file a complaint with your state's labor department or the IRS.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year and it was a complete nightmare until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). I was working for a small construction company and noticed they were double-dipping on the FICA taxes for months before I caught it. My payroll department kept insisting they were doing it right, and I couldn't convince them otherwise. I uploaded my paystubs to taxr.ai and it flagged the issue immediately, even generated a detailed report explaining exactly which tax codes were being violated and cited the relevant IRS regulations. Having that official-looking document made all the difference when I went back to management - suddenly they took me seriously! The system also helped me calculate exactly how much I was owed in backpay (over $2,300!) and provided guidance on how to approach getting reimbursed. Saved me countless hours of research and probably a costly meeting with a tax professional.

I wanted to follow up on my experience with taxr.ai since I decided to try it after seeing the recommendation here. WOW - what a lifesaver! I was definitely being overcharged on my Social Security and Medicare taxes. I uploaded my last three paystubs and within minutes got a detailed breakdown showing exactly where my employer was taking out both the employee AND employer portions. The report even calculated I'm owed $1,842 in overpaid taxes! I was nervous about confronting my company, but the site generated a super professional letter citing all the relevant tax codes that I just had to forward to HR. They responded THE SAME DAY saying their payroll provider had set up the deductions incorrectly and they're fixing it immediately. They're even cutting me a separate check for all the back payments next week! Honestly, I would have probably just believed my coworker that this was normal without this tool. Thanks for recommending it!

For anyone dealing with the IRS about employer tax issues, good luck trying to reach an actual human being who can help. I spent WEEKS trying to get clarification about an employer tax situation similar to this one - calling every number I could find, waiting on hold for hours, only to get disconnected or transferred to another department that couldn't help. Finally found https://claimyr.com through a tax forum and it changed everything. They have this cool system that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you, then calls you when an actual agent is on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I went from wasting days trying to reach someone to having a 20-minute conversation with an IRS agent who confirmed my employer was 100% in the wrong for making me pay the employer portion of payroll taxes. Having that official confirmation from the IRS gave me the confidence to push back against my company's BS explanation.

OK I have to eat my words! I tried Claimyr after posting that skeptical comment and I'm shocked that it actually worked. After trying for WEEKS to get through to the IRS about this exact employer tax issue (my employer was also making me pay their portion of SS/Medicare), I got connected to an IRS representative in less than 24 hours. The agent confirmed that employers absolutely CANNOT make employees pay the employer portion of payroll taxes - it's a direct violation of tax law. She even gave me specific information about how to file Form SS-8 to contest the misclassification if my employer was trying to treat me as both an employee and contractor. Having that official information directly from the IRS gave me the ammunition I needed. When I went back to my company with specific tax codes and filing procedures from the IRS, they suddenly "discovered the error" and fixed it immediately. They're now processing backpay for the incorrectly withheld amounts! Can't believe I wasted so much time trying to call them myself!

Just want to add that if you're self-employed or a 1099 contractor, you DO have to pay both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes (called self-employment tax). In that case, it would be 15.3% total. But if you're a W-2 employee, you absolutely should only be paying 7.65%, and your employer should be paying the other 7.65% from their own funds, not from your paycheck. Make sure you actually are classified as a W-2 employee and not incorrectly classified as a 1099 contractor. That's another common issue that could explain what's happening.

Just a heads up - if your HR/payroll person tries to tell you that this is correct because of a "special tax situation," they're full of it. I've seen companies try all kinds of explanations to justify taking extra money from employees. Some common BS excuses: - "It's because we're a small business under 50 employees" - "It's a special arrangement allowed by the IRS" - "It's company policy because we offer other benefits" - "It's temporary and will be refunded at tax time" None of these are legitimate. Employment tax laws apply to all businesses regardless of size. Document everything if they try to give you excuses.

This is definitely wage theft and completely illegal. Your employer cannot deduct their portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes from your paycheck under any circumstances. As a W-2 employee, you should only pay 7.65% (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare), and your employer must pay a matching 7.65% from their own funds - not from your wages. I'd recommend taking action immediately: 1. Gather all your paystubs showing the improper deductions 2. Calculate how much you've been overcharged (sounds like about $250/month x 8 months = $2,000+) 3. Approach HR/payroll first with documentation - frame it as "I believe there's an error in my payroll deductions" 4. If they don't fix it immediately, file a wage complaint with your state Department of Labor 5. Consider reporting to the IRS using Form 3949-A for tax law violations Don't let them give you excuses about "company policy" or "small business exemptions" - there are none. This is a clear violation of federal tax law and you're entitled to full reimbursement of the improperly withheld amounts plus interest. Document everything in writing and don't let them drag this out. You've already lost too much money to this illegal practice.