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Summary of Provisions That Would Change the Social Security Program

Description of Proposed Provisions:
Provisions Affecting Payroll Tax Rates

Estimates based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2009 Trustees Report

  Change from present law Results with this provision
Long-range
actuarial
balance
Annual
balance in
75th year
Long-range
actuarial
balance
Annual
balance in
75th year
Present Law, Alternative II.
-2.00 -4.34
E1.1 Raise payroll tax rates (for employees and employers combined) by 2.2 percentage points in 2010 and later.
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2.09 2.19 0.09 -2.15
E1.2 Raise payroll tax rates (for employees and employers combined) by 2.0 percentage points in 2022 (to 14.4% combined) and by an additional 2.0 percentage points in 2052 (to 16.4% combined).
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2.06 3.92 0.06 -0.42
E1.3 Beginning in 2010, reduce the combined OASDI payroll tax rate from 12.4 percent to 11.4 percent.
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-0.96 -1.01 -2.96 -5.35
E1.4 Raise the payroll tax rates gradually (for employees and employers combined) by 0.1 percentage points in 2015; continue this increase each year for 20 years. By 2034, the combined employee and employer payroll tax rate would be 14.4 percent.
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1.39 1.98 -0.62 -2.36
E2.1 Beginning in 2010, make all earnings subject to the payroll tax (but retain the current-law taxable maximum for benefit calculations).
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2.32 2.49 0.31 -1.86
E2.2 Beginning in 2010, make all earnings subject to the payroll tax and credit them for benefit purposes.
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1.89 1.65 -0.11 -2.69
E2.3 Determine the level of the contribution and benefit base such that 90 percent of the earnings would be subject to the payroll tax (phased in 2010-2019). All earnings subject to the payroll tax would be used in determining benefits.
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0.75 0.62 -1.25 -3.72
E2.4 Make 90% of the earnings subject to the payroll tax (phased in 2010-2019), but retain the current-law taxable maximum for benefit purposes. This estimate considers all self-employed earnings in computing the percentage of earnings subject to the payroll tax.
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0.94 1.07 -1.06 -3.27
E2.5 Raise the taxable maximum amount (the contribution and benefit base) to include 90 percent of total OASDI covered earnings. Phase in this increase gradually between 2011 and 2016. Benefit computations would reflect all earnings up to the new taxable maximum.
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0.74 0.61 -1.26 -3.73
E2.6 Impose a 3 percent payroll tax on OASDI covered earnings above the current taxable maximum starting in 2010. Benefit computations would not reflect any earnings above the taxable maximum amount.
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0.57 0.61 -1.44 -3.73
E2.7 In 2010 through 2012, raise the OASDI contribution and benefit base from $106,800 to $115,200 (in 2009 AWI indexed dollars). For years after 2012, the contribution and benefit base would be increased based on changes in SSA's average wage index. Additional earnings subject to the OASDI payroll tax would be credited for benefit calculation purposes.
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0.11 0.08 -1.89 -4.26
E2.8 Impose a 6 percent payroll tax on OASDI covered earnings above the current taxable maximum starting in 2010. Benefit computations would not reflect any earnings above the taxable maximum amount.
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1.12 1.20 -0.88 -3.14
E2.9 Beginning in 2010, make all earnings subject to the OASDI payroll tax and give benefit credit using an PIA formula that is extended to provide less credit for those with AIMEs higher than the current-law maximum AIME level. The high end of the benefit formula, applied to 2009, would be: 15 percent of AIME between $4,482 and $8,900 ($106,800 divided by 12), plus 3 percent of AIME over $8,900.
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2.17 2.19 0.16 -2.15
E2.10 Beginning in 2010, raise the taxable maximum each year by an additional 2 percent over the current-law, wage-indexed amount until total earnings subject to payroll taxes equals 90 percent of all covered earnings. Credit the earnings for benefit purposes.
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0.60 0.65 -1.41 -3.69
E2.11 Make all earnings subject to the employer OASDI payroll tax beginning in 2010. For the employee OASDI payroll tax and for benefit calculation purposes, the taxable maximum would equal the present-law taxable maximum for years 2009 and earlier. Beginning in 2010, the taxable maximum would be raised each year by an additional 2 percent over the current-law, wage-indexed amount until earnings subject to payroll taxes equals 90 percent of all covered earnings.
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1.41 1.39 -0.60 -2.95
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Last reviewed or modified November 5, 2009