Self Employment Tax Lawyers in Countryside

In Countryside, Illinois, there are particular taxes that are imposed on employees, which are deducted from their paychecks. The generally well-known employment taxes are the Medicare and Social Security tax, for which a small percentage of every employee's paycheck is deducted.

But what if you're self-employed? You're still obligated to pay these taxes, since you will also be eligible for those retirement programs. It's also your responsibility to determine what your tax liability is.

Normally, 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 take 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 Countryside, Illinois

If you own a sole-proprietorship, or work primarily as an independent contractor, you need to pay the "self-employment tax" if you derive any considerable amount of income from self-employment. You must pay these taxes if your income from self-employment is more than annually.

For normal employees, Social Security and Medicare payments are made in equal parts by the employee and employer. This basically means that every employee's contribution to his or her future Medicare and Social Security benefits is matched by the employer.

But, if you are a self-employed business owner in Countryside, Illinois, you are accountable for both the employee and employer contributions to Medicare and Social Security. This basically doubles your self-employment tax rate.

The total self-employment tax (note that this is completely distinct from the income tax) is set at 15.3%, if your income from self-employment in Countryside, Illinois exceeds . However, half of this tax is deducted from your income, for income tax purposes. Therefore, this means that, at most, the self-employed only have to pay income on 92% of their total income, and that amount may be lowered with additional deductions for which you may be eligible. This means that, basically, the self-employment tax rate is only 14%, as opposed to 15.3%

Can a Countryside, Illinois Tax Attorney Help?

If you work for yourself in Countryside, you have to stay on top of your self-employment taxes, to avoid facing severe legal and financial issues later on. This means you need to keep superb 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.

That said, if you are having trouble figuring out clearly how much self-employment tax you owe in Countryside, Illinois, a competent tax attorney shouldn't have any trouble helping you on that front. Likewise, if you end up in a dispute with the government over your self-employment tax obligation, a good tax attorney can give you the best possible chance of getting a favorable result.