Question

Every worker sees a social security (fica) tax taken out of his or her paycheck. the nominal tax rate on workers is 7.65 percent. but there's a catch: only wages below a legislated ceiling are taxable. in 2014, the table wage ceiling was $117,000. what percentage of income is paid in social security taxes by a worker in 2014 earning

Answer 1

Part A:

Because, there is a ceiling on the amount of earnings that is taxable. Any earning below the ceiling will be taxed at 7.65% of the earning while any earning above the eiling will be taxed at 7.65% of the ceiling.

Given that the ceiling on the amount that is taxable is $117,000. If a worker earns $40,000, then the worker's FICA tax will be 7.65% of $40,000 = 0.0765 x $40,000 = $3,060

Therefore, the percentage of income that is paid in social security taxes by a worker in 2014 earning $40,000 is 7.65%



Part B:

Because, there is a ceiling on the amount of earnings that is taxable. Any earning below the ceiling will be taxed at 7.65% of the earning while any earning above the eiling will be taxed at 7.65% of the ceiling.

Given that the ceiling on the amount that is taxable is $117,000. If a worker earns $80,000, then the worker's FICA tax will be 7.65% of $80,000 = 0.0765 x $80,000 = $6,120

Therefore, the percentage of income that is paid in social security taxes by a worker in 2014 earning $80,000 is 7.65%


Part C:

Because, there is a ceiling on the amount of earnings that is taxable. Any earning below the ceiling will be taxed at 7.65% of the earning while any earning above the eiling will be taxed at 7.65% of the ceiling.

Given that the ceiling on the amount that is taxable is $117,000. If a worker earns $200,000, then the worker's FICA tax will be 7.65% of $117,000 = 0.0765 x $117,000 = $8,950.50

Therefore, the percentage of income that is paid in social security taxes by a worker in 2014 earning $200,000 is given by

$\frac{8950.5}{200000} \times100\%=4.48\%$