Self Employment Tax Lawyers in Westfield
In Westfield, Massachusetts, some taxes are enforced on employees, and deducted from their paychecks. Most people are cognizant of the Medicare and Social Security taxes - which fund those two programs by taking a small percentage of every paycheck an employee receives.
It's imperativel to be aware of one fact: if you're self-employed, you still have to pay these taxes. And it's your responsibility (or the responsibility of someone you hire for this purpose) to figure out precisely how much you owe.
Normally, the employer makes all the necessary calculations and deductions from a person's paycheck. If you are self-employed, however, you are required to make this determination, and to ensure that it's accurate.
Self-Employment tax obligations in Westfield, Massachusetts
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 everybody who makes more than per year from self-employment.
Workers who are employed by someone else enjoy at least one perk that the self-employed do not: their employer matches their Social Security and Medicare contributions, essentially doubling the amount of money that's contributed to these funds on the employee's behalf.
However, if you are a self-employed business owner in Westfield, Massachusetts, you are liable for both the employee and employer contributions to Medicare and Social Security. This essentially doubles your self-employment tax rate.
The self-employment tax rate is 15.3% of all self-employment income, assuming your income from self-employment exceeds per year in Westfield, Massachusetts. But half of your self-employment tax liability can be deducted from your income tax. This results in a slightly reduced income tax bill, which partially offsets this additional tax burden. It essentially means that the self-employment tax only applies to 92% of your income, as opposed to all of it. This means that your effective self-employment tax rate is about 14%, as opposed to over 15%.
Can a Westfield, Massachusetts Tax Attorney Help?
Self-employed individuals in Westfield must ensure that they keep good, accurate financial records. This makes it much easier to determine what you owe, and, if you need a tax attorney, it makes it easier for them to advise you with your legal tax concerns.
If you have any difficulty calculating your self-employment tax liability, an efficient Westfield, Massachusetts tax attorney would likely have very little trouble assisting you figure it out. A reliable lawyer can also give you practical legal advice, which can help you avoid more significant tax law issues in the future, by dealing with them before they become problematic.