self-employment tax
Self-employment tax
self-employment tax
A federal tax similar to the Social Security and Medicare taxes deducted and matched by employers. It is equal to 15.3 percent of net earnings from self-employment and must be calculated on Schedule SE and reported on Form 1040. Real estate agents, brokers, mortgage brokers, and all other self-employed individuals are required to pay self-employment taxes. (See Tax Topic 554, “Self-Employment Tax” and Publication 334, “Tax Guide for Small Business,” at the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov.)