FICA – Wage Limits and Tax Rates

To determine the gross pay subject to social security tax withholding, up to the wage base limit, you must first add any taxable fringe benefit amounts and taxable employer-paid deductions. From that taxable gross total, then subtract any Before-Tax Employee Insurance Benefits, parking deductions, and Health Care or Dependent Daycare Reimbursement deductions. The remainder is your social security taxable gross.

NOTE: Effective for 2013, an additional .9% Medicare tax is withheld when employees' wages are in excess of $200,000.  The additional Medicare tax withholding begins with the pay period in which the wages exceed the $200,000 threshold.