900 Rich People Won’t Pay Into Social Security For The Rest Of The Year

[deminks]

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/01/03/3118281/rich-social-security-taxes/

While almost all working Americans will pay into Social Security through their paychecks throughout the year, the 900 wealthiest people in the country won’t. That’s because the highest-earning 0.0001 percent of the U.S. — many of them corporate CEOs — made $117,000 in the first two days of the year, which is the maximum annual income that is subject to Social Security taxes under federal law.

It’s tough to say for certain who will be a part of this group in 2014, since the most recent available data on Americans’ earnings is from 2012. In that year, 894 individuals nationwide made enough to qualify for membership in this club, according to the Los Angeles Times. Economist Teresa Ghilarducci came up with the calculation, and points out that Forbes data on top earners enables analysts and the public to see some of the members of this group. There were nearly 70 corporate CEOs who made enough to qualify in 2012, including the top officers at companies like Philip Morris, NewsCorp, Starbucks, ComCast, and Pfizer.

They get to live the year free from Social Security taxes because the law says that only the first $117,000 earned in a year can be taxed to fund the retirement program that kept more than 15 million people out of poverty in 2011. Democrats have pushed to raise the cap in recent years from $106,800 in 2009 to the current level. Eliminating the cap entirely could make the program solvent for the next 75 years without cutting a dime from anyone’s benefits — and doing so wouldn’t touch the earnings of 94.2 percent of all American workers.

Despite that option, most of the debates around Social Security in recent years have focused on cutting the program rather than increasing its revenue stream. Yet Americans are facing a retirement crisis. Companies’ shifts from pensions to investment plans for retirees has undermined the financial security of working people while enriching the financial services industry and worsening inequality. For non-white workers who are far less likely to have access to even those paltry 401(k) plans, the picture is even bleaker. Overall more than half of all Americans are projected to see a steep drop in their standard of living upon retirement. There is a $6.6 trillion gap between what working Americans have saved and what they ought to have saved to retire well.

(end snip)

Eliminate the cap, already. Sheesh. I never wanted my pension in the stock market - it's rigged. But nobody asked. They just took it.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Agreed!

I stopped paying this past year in June. If the company did as well as I believe it did in Q4 - it will be May this year.

I do not and will not miss the money that goes directly to the care and comfort of elderly and disabled Americans.

And any non billionaires that earn income at my level (I live in NJ a VERY high cost of living state) that claim it's a hardship are selfish little liars. They know DAMN well that the amount paid is what they spend at dinner once a week.

I don't mean to be snotty or arrogant - but high earning affluent liberals and progressives need to stand up, speak up, and walk the walk. Talk is cheap - senior citizens prescriptions are not.

Affluent, rich, and wealthy Americans who claim to be progressive - The time is now. Join me and triple, double dog dare this country to tax us.

[grahamhgreen]

2. Great meme to get out there, kick!