[geoschmo]

Originally posted by rextorres:
When I said payroll tax - I meant FICA and SSI - the amount is ~8% and - I don't mean to sound snide - has appeared on every check stub I've received - and that is not refunded.

AJT

Actually "FICA" doesn't show up on a lot of paystubs at all. MY own for example has separate entries for Social Securtiy and Medicare. No it's not refunded, but the way it's supposed to work is you get it back in the form of social security and medicare benefits, and part of it goes for unemployment insurance premiums. Even though it's called a tax, and in effect is a tax, it could technically said to be not a tax. Since theoretically your benefits resulting from it are supposed to be in proportion to the amount you paid in over the years. Of course we all know that's not very likely by the time we retire.

My point is that since it's technically not a tax to begin with you aren't going to get a refund on it. As you said yourself the ones getting refunds are going to be the ones actually paying taxes.