Research Areas
Social Security and Payroll Taxes
Thanks to falling birthrates and rising numbers of retirees in the U.S., the future of Social Security is uncertain. Over the years, Tax Foundation economists have published a range of studies exploring Social Security's financial problems and outlining possible reforms to help restore the system to long-term solvency. Currently, U.S. federal payroll taxes consist of a 12.4 percent Social Security tax, and a 2.9 percent Medicare tax.
Additional questions about Social Security and payroll taxes? Call (202) 464-6200.
Articles from the Tax Foundation
- Outline of Individual and Employer Coverage under House Health Care Reform Bill, by Gerald Prante, August 12, 2009
- Social Security and Medicare Tax Rates, Calendar Years 1937 – 2009 , May 5, 2009
- Hard Numbers on Obama?s Redistribution Plan, by Scott A. Hodge, June 25, 2008
- Obama?s Plan to Abolish the Social Security Wage Ceiling: A State-by-State Breakdown, by Gerald Prante, May 30, 2008
- Asking the U.S. Supreme Court to Rein in IRS Penalties on Struggling Businesses?Staff IT, Inc., v. United States, by Chris Atkins and George W. Connelly, September 20, 2007
- Average Dollar Tax Burdens by Type of Federal Tax, Per Household, Calendar Year 2004 , April 1, 2007
- Putting Taxes on the Map: Federal Tax Burdens by City, County, Congressional District and State, by Andrew Chamberlain and Gerald Prante, March 22, 2007
- Illustration of the President?s Health Care Tax Initiative, by Gerald Prante, January 25, 2007
- Stock Market Investing: Good Enough for Public Employee and Union Pension Funds, by Scott A. Hodge and Curtis S. Dubay, February 2, 2005
- Social Security Commission Lays Out the Painful Facts, by Scott A. Hodge, July 15, 2001
- For Social Security, the Greatest Risk is the Status Quo, by Scott A. Hodge, August 15, 2000
- Time is Right for Social Security Reform, by J. D. Foster, Ph.D., May 10, 2000
- Reforming Social Security, by J. D. Foster, Ph.D., February 1, 1999
- Welfare to Wealth-Fair: The Case for Social Security Reform, by J. D. Foster, Ph.D., January 2, 1999
- A Primer on Social Security Reform, by Arthur P. Hall, Ph.D., November 1, 1996
- Social Security: A Bleak Outlook for Baby Boomers, by Arthur P. Hall, Ph.D., January 1, 1996
- Forcing a Bad Investment on Retiring Americans, by Arthur P. Hall, Ph.D., November 1, 1995
- Tax Review: The Social Security Time Bomb, by Edward A. Sprague, February 1, 1981
- Tax Review: Value-Added Tax and the Financing of Social Security, by Gerard Brannon, May 1, 1979
- Tax Review: Issues in Social Security Financing, by Paul N. Van de Water, April 1, 1979
- Tax Review: Social Security, Tax Reform and Capital Accumulation, by Martin S. Feldstein, February 1, 1976
- Tax Review: Social Security Taxes: Regressivity and Subsidies, by Robert J. Myers, December 1, 1973
- Tax Review: The Future Role of Social Security, by Robert J. Myers, November 1, 1969
- Future Financing of Social Security: The Issues, by TF Staff, November 1, 1967
- Issues in Future Financing of Social Security, by TF Staff, November 1, 1967
- Economic Aspects of the Social Security Tax, by TF Staff, August 1, 1966
- Links to Other Tax Policy Resources, December 31, 1969