awpitt
Main Streeter
On August 8, 2020. Trump singed a Presidential Memorandum ordering that that payroll taxes (Social Security/FICA) are to be deferred for the pay periods between September 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020.
This action is for anyone who has a gross income of less than $104,000 per year. It is a requirement for Federal Civil Service employees and for members of the military. For the private sector, it is up to the employer as to whether or not they want to do this.
It is interesting that this is being done now as we head into the last stages of the election season. Why? Because this is not a tax cut. Nor is it a tax forgiveness. It is a tax deferment. What does that mean?
Well, it means that if you fall into one of the groups mentioned above, your paycheck will increase by about 6.2% between now and December 31, 2020. After that, your paycheck will return to normal. The other part that you need to be aware of is that all of the tax that will be deferred between now and December 31, 2020 will have TO BE PAID BACK when you file your 2020 Income Tax Return on or before April 15, 2021.
So, if you find, on your pay stub, that no Social Security/FICA are being taken out. You should put that money in savings and keep there until it’s time to file your tax return in the Spring. For those in the private sector, you can talk to your employer’s HR/Payroll department and see if you can “opt” out.
If you do nothing, you will have to pay all that money back when you file your 2020 Tax Return on or before April 15, 2021.
Here is a link to the IRS information on this matter…
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-65.pdf
This action is for anyone who has a gross income of less than $104,000 per year. It is a requirement for Federal Civil Service employees and for members of the military. For the private sector, it is up to the employer as to whether or not they want to do this.
It is interesting that this is being done now as we head into the last stages of the election season. Why? Because this is not a tax cut. Nor is it a tax forgiveness. It is a tax deferment. What does that mean?
Well, it means that if you fall into one of the groups mentioned above, your paycheck will increase by about 6.2% between now and December 31, 2020. After that, your paycheck will return to normal. The other part that you need to be aware of is that all of the tax that will be deferred between now and December 31, 2020 will have TO BE PAID BACK when you file your 2020 Income Tax Return on or before April 15, 2021.
So, if you find, on your pay stub, that no Social Security/FICA are being taken out. You should put that money in savings and keep there until it’s time to file your tax return in the Spring. For those in the private sector, you can talk to your employer’s HR/Payroll department and see if you can “opt” out.
If you do nothing, you will have to pay all that money back when you file your 2020 Tax Return on or before April 15, 2021.
Here is a link to the IRS information on this matter…
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-20-65.pdf