The amount of social security and Medicare tax withheld from your pay appears in Boxes 4 and 6 of Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement. There is no limit on the amount of wages subject to the Medicare tax (1.45%), but there is a maximum amount of wages subject to social security tax (6.2%).

The maximum amount of wages subject to the social security tax each year:

• 2021: $142,800
• 2020: $137,700
• 2019: $132,900
• 2018: $128,400
• 2017: $127,200

Related Links

• High-income earners also pay an additional 0.9 percent in Medicare taxes on earnings above certain amounts. See Questions and Answers for the Additional Medicare Tax for more information.
• If you are self-employed, you must make estimated tax payments for social security and Medicare taxes. See the IRS Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center website for more information.
• See the Social Security Administration's Fact Sheet PDF for more information.

Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the webpage or document at the time it is accessed.