Are Self-Employed People Subject to Different Tax Rates?

Self-employment tax is a requirement for those who are self-employed, and the rate is 15.3%. This rate is the sum of 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. Self-employment tax applies to net earnings, which many call earnings. It is important to note that self-employment tax is not the same as income tax. Unfortunately, when you're self-employed, you are responsible for paying both parts of these taxes, totaling 15.3 percent.

However, you can apply for a deduction for part of this amount when you file your tax return. You calculate these employment taxes in an annex to Schedule SE to your personal tax return. Once you've determined how much of your net self-employment income is taxable, apply the 15.3% tax rate. The IRS requires you to pay income taxes on this money, but you won't have to pay self-employment tax on rental income or any other form of passive income. At the end of the year, your estimated payments (including employer withholding) must equal at least 90 percent of your current year's tax liability or 100 percent of your last year's tax liability.

This is because you are responsible for covering both the self-employment tax and the regular income tax. Self-employment taxes are taxes that self-employed business owners pay to the Social Security Administration for Social Security and Medicare, based on the profits of a company they own (not a corporation). The IRS allows you to deduct half of your self-employment tax from your net earnings as an income tax deduction. Property tax exemptions help qualifying homeowners by reducing or eliminating their property tax bill The List of Tax Rates is first determined based on your tax filing status (single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, and head of family) and their income. Self-employed people pay these taxes based on their company's income, while employees have these taxes withheld from their paychecks and pay them on their individual income tax returns. State and local taxes may not require a quarterly filing and may have their own payment procedures, so work with a tax professional to make sure you pay taxes correctly. Your net profit is then included in your personal income tax return and taxed the same way as your other income. A big difference between the self-employment tax and the payroll taxes paid by people with regular jobs is that, in general, employees and their employers split the Social Security and Medicare bill.

Keeping up with your estimated quarterly tax payments ensures that you plan properly and that you're not surprised by your annual tax bill. Employers must withhold these taxes from employee paychecks and then deposit, report and pay them to the IRS. You'll have to pay self-employment taxes annually, and these taxes must be paid at the same time you pay your income taxes. If you have a regular job in addition to your self-employment, you may be able to increase your federal tax withholding on that job to cover taxes on your self-employment income.