Self Employment Tax in Santa Cruz, California

Find the right Self Employment Tax attorney in Santa Cruz, CA

Self Employment Tax Lawyers in Santa Cruz

In Santa Cruz, California, there are specific taxes that are enforced on employees, which are deducted from their paychecks. The typically well-known employment taxes are the Medicare and Social Security tax, for which a small percentage of every employee's paycheck is deducted.

It's extremely important to know that, if you are self-employed, you still have to pay those taxes, and it's also up to you to figure out precisely how much you owe, to confirm that you don't pay more or less than you are obliged to.

Typically, it's the employer who makes all these calculations, and the employee doesn't have to think about it. Most larger employers have payroll departments to oversee these matters, making it pretty simple for them. But, if you are self-employed, it's up to you to accurately determine what you have to pay in self-employment taxes

Self-Employment tax obligations in Santa Cruz, California

If you are an independent contractor, or run a sole proprietorship (a company which you own, and which is not incorporated as a separate legal entity), you must pay the so-called "self-employment tax" if your income from self-employment is higher than per year.

Employees in a regular employer/employee relationship do enjoy one substantial perk that the self-employed do not: their Social Security and Medicare contributions are matched by their employers. So, if you pay in Social Security and Medicare taxes with every paycheck, your employer has to match that. This essentially doubles your contribution to these programs, without doubling their financial burden on you.

However, if you are a self-employed business owner in Santa Cruz, California, you are liable for both the employee and employer contributions to Medicare and Social Security. This essentially doubles your self-employment tax rate.

Currently, the self-employment tax rate in the United States is 15.30% of all income earned from self-employment in Santa Cruz, California. Nonetheless, half of your hypothetical self-employment tax liability can be deducted from your income. This means that you only pay self-employment tax on about 92% of your income, which creates an effective self-employment tax rate of just over 14%.

Can a Santa Cruz, California Tax Attorney Help?

If you work for yourself in Santa Cruz, you have to stay on top of your self-employment taxes, to avoid facing significant legal and financial issues later on. This means you need to keep reliable records of all your income and expenses, in case you need to seek the advice of a tax attorney: the more information you can provide your lawyer, the better he or she can help you.

Thus, if you have some trouble figuring out what you owe in self-employment taxes, for whatever reason, chances are good that a knowledgeable tax attorney in Santa Cruz, California can advise you with much trouble, and can provide you with good legal and financial advice, which can help you head off much more significant legal and financial issues.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California is the largest city in, and county seat of, Santa Cruz County. It has a population of about 60,000 people.

Santa Cruz was the location of a Spanish settlement that was established in 1791. Beginning in the mid-20th century, and continuing to this day, Santa Cruz has long been a center of liberal and progressive social activism. In 1992, Santa Cruz, California became one of the first cities in the United States to legalize medical marijuana. The presence of the University of California, Santa Cruz adds to this culture of activism. It is also the largest employer in Santa Cruz, with about 7,000 workers.

UC Santa Cruz does not have a law school, but many of its graduates go on to attend other California law schools, and become successful Santa Cruz, California lawyers.

If you are a resident of Santa Cruz, and are in need of legal help, you can almost certainly find a Santa Cruz, California attorney who can assist you.

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