Other Accompanying InformationINTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Other Accompanying Information - Unaudited For the Years Ended September 30, 2010 and 2009 34 Social Security and Medicare Taxes
Trang 1Other Accompanying Information
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
Other Accompanying Information - Unaudited For the Years Ended September 30, 2010 and 2009
34
Social Security and Medicare Taxes
The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) provides for a Federal system of old-age, survivors,
disability, and hospital insurance benefits Payments to trust funds established for these programs are
financed by payroll taxes on employee wages and tips, employers’ matching payments, and a tax on
self-employment income
A portion of FICA benefits involves old-age, survivors, and disability payments These benefits are
funded by the social security tax which is currently 6.2 percent of wages and tips up to $106,800 and
an employer matching amount of 6.2 percent bringing the total rate to 12.4 percent These benefits are
also funded by a self-employment tax of 12.4 percent on self employment income up to $106,800 for
calendar year 2009 Remaining benefits under FICA pertain to hospital benefits (referred to as
“Medicare”) and are funded by a separate 1.45 percent tax on all wages and tips (there is no wage
limit) and the employer matching contribution of 1.45 percent bringing the total rate to 2.9 percent
Self-employed individuals pay a Medicare tax of 2.9 percent on all self employment income Social
Security taxes collected by the IRS were estimated to be approximately $639 billion and $661 billion
in FY 2010 and FY 2009, respectively Medicare taxes collected by the IRS were estimated to be
approximately $182 billion and $192 billion in FY 2010 and FY 2009, respectively Social Security
taxes and Medicare taxes are included in individual income, FICA/SECA and other on the Statement
of Custodial Activity
Tax Gap
The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax imposed by law and what taxpayers actually
pay on time The tax gap arises from the three types of noncompliance: not filing required tax returns
on time or at all (the nonfiling gap), underreporting the correct amount of tax on timely filed returns
(the underreporting gap), and not paying on time the full amount reported on timely filed returns (the
underpayment gap) Of these three components, only the underpayment gap is observed; the nonfiling
gap and the underreporting gap must be estimated The tax gap, estimated to be about $345 billion for
tax year 2001 (the most recent estimate made), represents the net amount of noncompliance with the
tax laws Underreporting of tax liability accounts for 82 percent of the gap, with the remainder almost
evenly divided between nonfiling (eight percent) and underpaying (ten percent) Part of the estimate is
based on data from a study of individual returns filed for tax year 2001 It does not include any taxes
that should have been paid on income from illegal activities Each instance of noncompliance by a
taxpayer contributes to the tax gap, whether or not the IRS detects it, and whether or not the taxpayer
is even aware of the noncompliance Some of the tax gap arises from intentional (willful)
noncompliance, and some of it arises from unintentional mistakes
The collection gap is the cumulative amount of tax, penalties, and interest that has been assessed over
many years, but has not been paid by a certain point in time, and which the IRS expects to remain
uncollectible In essence, it represents the difference between the total balance of unpaid assessments
and the net taxes receivable reported on the balance sheet of the IRS The tax gap and the collection
gap are related and overlapping concepts, but they have significant differences The collection gap is a
cumulative balance sheet concept for a particular point in time, while the tax gap is like an income
statement item for a single year Moreover, the tax gap estimates include all noncompliance, while the
collection gap includes only amounts that have been assessed (a small portion of all noncompliance)
This is trial version
www.adultpdf.com