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I am often asked about taxes in America. How is it all happening, what are there taxes in the USA, where it is holding down how much I cry, and so on. Today, the entire post is devoted to this issue.
Taxes occupy a great place in the life of Americans. Tax non-payment is cruelly punishable. Tax crimes, loud processes, convicted celebrities - constantly at all on the lips. The famous saying - " there are two things that cannot be avoided in life: death and taxes"- Born in the United States.
I do not know 100% of all subtleties (not an accountant and not a lawyer), I myself do not have business, I am a hired worker. I take off the apartment, I live in Texas. I will write mainly about what I come across, so if I did not mention something somewhere - I ask not to scold much. :) Mostly it will be what is interesting to the majority: salary taxes. This is what they are most often asked about. What every year the most ordinary people face.
I will try to decompose the basic information on the shelves:
Who pays taxes?
Each resident of the United States is obliged to answer for himself: once a year to apply to the tax return and pay taxes.
And it is important, you are in the USA for more than 180 days a year (you are tax Resident). If you live most of the year in Russia, and simply go to America for a business trip for a couple of months a year - taxes you only serve in Russia. After all, if your country with the United States has an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation (as with Russia), even if you earned something while in the United States, you do not pay taxes in the states of taxes.
Unfortunately, if you are a citizen, for example, Uganda - you will be obliged to pay taxes and in the United States (on the income received in the USA) and at home (for all its annual income).
Who collects taxes?
All tax cases in the United States are engaged in the Federal Service IRS (Internal Revenue Service).
W. they are on the site And all the documents are, and forms and explanations.
Another thing is that there are so many subtleties in the supply of taxes (the ordinary man in the street with them rarely faces, but it happens) that just the site will not limit the site: there is a special profession "Tax Consultant", which are dealt with all paragraphs and subtleties of thousands of thousands of rules and special cases .
If you have a case of difficult - you are the road to the Cabinet of the Tax Consultant. If you have an case easier - you can make a declaration yourself, or (which is more easier) to use for this third-party type sites Turbotax or TaxAct. .
How is the tax declaration?
It is served at the beginning of each year: starting from January 1 and the deadline - April 15..Just need to choose a tax form (there are several of them, depending on your situation), calculate a little on the calculator, fill out this form, attach some documents, if necessary - and send to the IRS.
You can print the form you need, fill it from hand and send by mail (and so so far do many), and you can submit it in electronic form on the IRS website, and you can use the same numerous types of type Turbotax or TaxAct. (there are many different), where you also explain everything to the steps, take the hand and spend these incomprehensible forms for each field, all at the end for you will be filled and deposited. For a small fee ($ 10-40, naturally) :)
Tax levels
It is necessary to know that taxes in the United States are divided into three levels:
- federal taxes (their US residents pay them)
- state taxes (pay residents of a state)
- and local taxes (various additional taxes installed by the local government and cities)
For example, when they say: " there is no income tax in Texas"" It is worth remembering that there is no state tax, but necessarily there is a federal income tax and, perhaps, there are local taxes. But still, this means that the taxes of the ordinary worker in Texas pays much less than, say, in California.
What is "taxable base"?
The taxable base is called that part of the annual salary, which is taxed.
Roughly speaking, you need to know that a part of the salary tax is not subject.
We are not talking about special categories of income, somehow: dividends, winnings in the lottery and casino, gifts, inheritance, tips, and so on. There are many categories of income, and the rules for calculating the income tax for all they differ. We will now talk about the widespread form of income - wages.
there is personal exemption. It depends on the number of dependents (for example, children) and if they are not and you live one - equals $ 3,900
There is also standard personal deduction. In fact, they are also different and for example, if you are bachelor, then your annual deduction will be equal to $ 6,100 (for 2013)
Is there - special deductions. For each dependent (if someone lives and has no income). For the presence of a mortgage. For the education of children. For some purchases related to work. For the fact that you are military. For medical waste. For what you have medical insurance. For renting property for rent and she loses in price. For the fact that you postponed into your pension fund. For lost dividends on collapsing shares. Yes, much for what!
These special deductions are so many, and there are so many rules, subtleties and documents to be attached to the Declaration, which this area is the main complexity when submitting a tax return. This is mostly "feeding" the army of tax consultants. And that is why in America it is customary to store all checks, all printouts, all contracts and contracts - at least during the year.
Everything that remains after deductions is the amount you pay taxes.
So what is charged with salaries?
So, what is charged with wages of workers in the USA?
- Federal income tax
- House income tax
- Social Security Tax - Social Fund, pays on the side of the employer
- Medicare - Medical Fund, pays on the side of the employer
Let us dwell on each of them a little more:
1 - federal income tax
For all states the same. It is calculated by the progressive scale, according to special tables.
The choice of the table is important: whether you will serve one, or with my wife / Gom (you can and so). And there will be different results. This or that method gives certain benefits (this is already googling or asking for a consultant).
Suppose you are a bachelor living one, your salary is $ 75,000 and you have no special deductions, then your federal income tax with such a salary will be approximately 18%.
If you work for an employer, he can pay this tax for you, gives you a clean salary. If you work for yourself - you yourself will pay this tax at the end of the year.
2 - House income tax
This is also an income tax, but the deducted state, the resident of which you are.
As in the case of a federal income tax: if you work with the employer, it can pay this tax for you, issuing you already pure salary. If you work for yourself - you yourself will pay this tax at the end of the year.
In each state, this tax is different:
Somewhere it is absent (in 8 states, including our Texas).
Somewhere it is fixed, but somewhere progressive.
Here is a map of the United States with state tax rates for 2013:
Red is shown by the states with a progressive scale, blue - with fixed.
In the States with a progressive scale, the digits are taken averaged.
3 - Social Security Tax
This tax provides a federal pension program and the program to pay assistances and unemployed.
This tax is considered not with a taxable base, but with the full salary amount, before paying anything, and is 4.2% of the salary rate. Usually its employer pays, and you do not have to somehow stubborn. It will not be superfling that the employer and for its part it is still obliged to pay taxes 6.2% of the employee's salary.
If you work for yourself, then you are obliged to pay for Social Security Tax and for yourself and for the "employer" - 10.4% of your income.
4 - Medicare.
This is the federal program of available medical care to poor and older people.
Like the Social Security Tax, it will be deducted with the full salary amount, and is 1.45%. Exactly the same burden - 1.45% - pays for taxes and employer.
And if you work for yourself, then you pay the Medicare Tax total: 2.9% of your income.
Do you like this material? Do you find it interesting?
Want to know more about America?
How to emigrate in the USA and about life there?
So how much is still it turns out?
Let's lay down how much skins are fighting the wages of an ordinary employee:
Suppose we have a lone bachelor living in Texas and salary at $ 75,000
Taxable base is obtained $ 75,000 - $ 6,100 - $ 3,900 \u003d $ 65,000
- Federal income tax \u003d about 18% of the taxable base.
It is considered on a special plate (I will not give it here), according to the ranges, since progressive. It turns out $ 12,178 - State tax \u003d 0% (also from taxable base)
- Social Security Tax \u003d 4.2%
- Medicare \u003d 1.45%
What do we have?
$ 12,178 + 75000 * 4.2% + 75000 * 1.45% \u003d 12,178 + 3,150 + 1,088 \u003d $ 16,416 per year.
What is approximately 21.8% of the salary.
It is very similar to my digit, by the way.
In other states, with another salaries, family situation, etc. can be quite different, less or more, for example 17% or even 50%
Aaaaaaaaa! How everything is difficult!
I agree, everything is pretty difficult.
And therefore almost no one considers it on a piece of paper. Everyone uses special applications or already mentioned by me by sites that are all considered beautifully for you and will squeeze.
You can use the convenient calculator on the right, and count how much you are in your situation and with your income you will pay taxes in a particular state.
I want to clarify once again that I describe the simplest case. It is worth a person to move from state to state, and starts. What state how much to pay? What scale? And if he was also born a child, he replaced insurance, broke his leg, lay down in the hospital, did not work for two months, divorced, lost in the casino, successfully rebuilt the shares on the stock exchange, sold foreign real estate, married a woman with 3 Children, and in the middle of the year - Hop and retired? Do you imagine how much more difficult is the real situation?
But we will not be distracted, we have an ordinary worker with just salary, remember? :)
What exactly are taxes pay?
Taxes pay in two ways: either the employer keeps them before paying the salary, or you receive a full salary taxes pay yourself at the end of the year. Almost all workers prefer the first way.
According to: agree with the employer so that he, for example, paying income taxes for you 25% of the salary. And issued you what will remain. You can negotiate by 10% and 60% - your right. At the end of the year, when you submit a tax return, you will specify how many taxes you have already paid this year. And if you have some kind of deductions (for example, a child was born during the year, you took a mortgage or became disabled) - the state will be required to return to you part of the taxes (Tax refund)
If you paid taxes a little less than you need - it is due to the tax declaration after submitting a tax declaration of this or that amount.
Interestingly, when you "tighten with taxes" interest (4.25%) accumulates on them, and you must over time more and more. On the other hand, if this state should you - then it, in turn, will pay 4.25% for their part.
It's nice when you don't suddenly find yourself due, and you pay extra, and many people agree with the employer to keep such a sum in order to get into "hardly more than your approximate tax rate."
Other taxes
I am often asked "What about other taxes"?
Yes, there are several more types of taxes that are not directly charged directly, but, nevertheless, significantly affecting the quality of life in a particular state.
Tax on the car
I was already asked about him several times.The car tax is different from the state to the state, but it is so insignificant that it is believed that he is not. Especially against the background of the amount of mandatory motorway reaching $ 1,300- $ 1800 per year :)
Just once a year, you pay for the registration of the car at the place of residence about $ 40-60, get a sticker with diquses, glue it on the windshield and forget until next year. What is interesting: this is done online, it is not necessary to go anywhere, the label comes in a few days by mail.
Property tax
In the US, there is a real estate tax paid by homeowners.
He is quite tangible, so it is worth mentioning about him.
For example, you have a house worth $ 280,000. You will pay a real estate tax that can range from $ 2,000 to $ 5,000 depending on the state. This means paying $ 200-500 every month!
Here is a real estate tax card in different states:
For example, in Texas, the largest real estate tax in the USA, and in California it is less than 3 times! But you should not panic - do not forget the difference in the very cost of the house in Texas and at home in California :) In California, the houses themselves are on average 2 times more, and the amount of tax is not so small.
Tax for sale
A considerable part as a life of the Americans tax for sale. This tax levied by each state separately from each product selling on its territory. For example, a pack of chips may be in advertising on a TV $ 2.00, and in the stores of different states the price of the same chips can be different: from $ 2.04 (Alaska) to $ 2.40 (Chicago). This means that going to the store for products in different states you spend a different amount of money that it cannot but affect the quality of life.
All that you consume: buy products, go to the restaurant, buy clothes, refuel and repair the car, buy furniture, but almost everything is subject to sale. And in the states where it is higher - everything Prices are higher.
On average, with the exception of certain categories where it is regulated separately) Tax for sale in the states:
As I mentioned, on certain categories of goods, sales tax is regulated separately, and some goods - like gasoline, for example, show such a price variation in the country (schedule for today's date with GasBuddy.com):
It turns out, for example, that in California gasoline by a third more expensive than in Texas.
And on this map there is no Alaska, there is all dark burgundy, for some reason very expensive.
Well, in general - something like that.
The topic is very voluminous, and in no way placing in one article (and even a few), they write books about it, they learn from all sorts of intricacies for several years and do this professionally.
An ordinary person is not so difficult to spend one day in a year to fill out and filing a tax return on a convenient site with prompts, where you will spend in steps, everyone will explain everything for you and fill. So it is not so difficult, as it sounds, if you start to understand.
I hope, answered most asking, but if there are more questions - welcome to the comments!
