Minors & Social Security/Medicare Taxes

[javadog]

During the previous year (2023), I worked a job and from each paycheck, both Social Security and Medicare taxes were taken out. At the time, I was a minor. Do I get that money back in taxes? Should that money have been taken out of my paycheck if I was a minor? For context, I made just under 10k last year.

[xmasbaby0]

No, you do not get back the money that was withheld for Social Security or Medicare.   Your refund can come from amounts in box 2 or box 17.   Once you start working and earning wages, you start paying into the Social Security and Medicare system so that someday when you are old---or disabled---you can get an income from Social Security and healthcare from Medicare.  You have those withheld no matter whether you are an infant or 100 years old.

[Opus 17]

The only time you don't pay social security taxes are:

1. you are under 21 and you work for your parents

2. you are under 18 and you are a household employee for someone else working in their home (like a babysitter or aide of some kind)

3. you are a student, working for your school in a position that is related to your education (such as a college student who gets paid for working as a teaching assistant).

4. you work in certain specialized jobs where the job or your union provides a better retirement benefit than social security, in which case you pay dues for that instead.

Your social security withholding goes into the social security system and builds credits for your future retirement or possible need to go on disability if something unfortunate should happen to you.