Self Employment Tax in Oak Park, Illinois

Find the right Self Employment Tax attorney in Oak Park, IL

Self Employment Tax Lawyers in Oak Park

In Oak Park, Illinois, some taxes are imposed on employees, and deducted from their paychecks. Most people are aware of the Medicare and Social Security taxes - which fund those two programs by taking a small percentage of every paycheck an employee receives.

Individuals who are self-employed are still liable for these taxes, and are responsible for figuring out how much they owe.

Most often, employers handle all of these calculations. With regular salaried and hourly employees, this is an easy process, and any decent payroll computer software can do it automatically. However, if you work for yourself, it is your responsibility to figure out exactly what you owe.

Self-Employment tax obligations in Oak Park, Illinois

If you derive even a small percentage of your income from running your own business, or working as an independent contractor, you have to pay the "self-employment tax." This tax applies to everyone who makes more than per year from self-employment.

For ordinary employees, Social Security and Medicare payments are made in equal parts by the employee and employer. This effectively 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 Oak Park, Illinois, you are responsible for both the employee and employer contributions to Medicare and Social Security. This basically doubles your self-employment tax rate.

In Oak Park, Illinois, self-employed business owners pay a self-employment tax rate of 15.3%. This is, of course, separate from, and additional to, whatever they pay in income tax. In an effort to partially offset this additional tax burden, half of what one pays in self-employment taxes can be deducted from their income when filing their income taxes. This means that the self employed pay income taxes on, at most, 92% of their income. And it's probably less, thanks to all the other deductions they might qualify for. This deduction lowers the effective self-employment tax rate to 14%, rather than the "official" rate of over 15%.

Can a Oak Park, Illinois Tax Attorney Help?

If you are self-employed in Oak Park, it's extremely important for you to be diligent in keeping records of your income and expenses, to ensure that you pay all the self-employment taxes that you owe (and also to make sure you don't over-pay). You may one day need a tax attorney to help you with a legal issue, and they can help you far more effectively if you are able to quickly provide them with all the relevant information.

With all that said, if you are having difficulty determining just how much money you owe in Medicare and Social Security taxes from self-employment in Oak Park, Illinois, and keep good financial records, it should be relatively easy for a decent tax attorney to help you. And, if you end up facing a more serious legal issue over your self-employment tax liability, a tax attorney may prove to be invaluable.

Talk to a Tax Law Attorney now!

Life in Oak Park

Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb of Chicago, located in Cook County. Its population, as of a 2003 Census estimate, is about 50,000 people.

Via the Chicago Loop, residents and visitors to Oak Park, Illinois, have very easy access to downtown Chicago, and all the amenities and economic opportunities that only one of the nation's largest cities can provide.

The history of Oak Park can be traced back to the 1830s, when a settler purchased about 170 acres of land outside Chicago. By 1850, the area was home to a railroad station, around which future growth would be based. Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the population of what would become Oak Park began to boom, due to many residents relocating after losing their homes or businesses. Oak Park, Illinois was officially established as town in 1902.

Modernly, Oak Park is known for its many historic buildings, healthy economy, and excellent school system.

Because Oak Park, Illinois is such an attractive place to live for many people, it should be no surprise that plenty of lawyers have set up shop there. Oak Park, Illinois lawyers can handle just about any legal issue a resident of the area is likely to have. If you need any legal assistance, an Oak Park, Illinois lawyer is the first person you should call.

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