2012 Social Security and Medicare Tax Withholding Limits

For 2012, the maximum limit on earnings for withholding of Social Security (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insur­ance) Tax is $110,100.00. The maximum limit is changed from last year. The Social Security Tax Rate is 6.2 percent. The tax rate is also changed from last year. The resulting maximum Social Security Tax for 2012 is $6,826.20.

There is still no limit on the amount of earnings subject to Medicare (Hospital Insurance) Tax. The Medicare Tax Rate applies to all taxable wages and remains at 1.45 per­cent. The FICA Tax Rate, which is the combined Social Security rate of 6.2 percent and the Medicare rate of 1.45 percent, increases to 7.65 percent for 2012.

The information in the following table shows the changes in Social Security and Medicare withholding limits from 2011 to 2012. The new limits are effective January 1, 2012.

 

Tax

2011 Limit

2012 Limit

Social Security Gross

$106,800.00

$110,100.00

Social Security Liability

$4,485.60

$6,826.20

Medicare Gross

No Limit

No Limit

Medicare Liability

No Limit

No Limit