Can I claim I'm Amish so as to avoid paying Social Security tax? (Obama, insurance)
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I staed at a bed and breakfast a couple months ago in Amish country! The couple told me that they are exempt from SS Tax on religious grounds! None of the Amish pay it! I've already paid over 90K into the SS system in my lifetime, but am willing to receive no SS if I can bail out now. That 90K will be a gift to Uncle Sam from me. I want nothing in return, just dont want to pay into a system anymore that I am unsure of its future. Are religious grounds the only way to forfeit ones SS rights?
I'm sure you could possibly join the amish community and really bring it back to "founding fathers" type living with no electricity, no running water, cars, etc,..
I staed at a bed and breakfast a couple months ago in Amish country! The couple told me that they are exempt from SS Tax on religious grounds! None of the Amish pay it! I've already paid over 90K into the SS system in my lifetime, but am willing to receive no SS if I can bail out now. That 90K will be a gift to Uncle Sam from me. I want nothing in return, just dont want to pay into a system anymore that I am unsure of its future. Are religious grounds the only way to forfeit ones SS rights?
Despite what you may hear, there is NO WAY to opt out of Social Security. They have to have virtually all of us losing 15.3% of every dollar we make, just to keep the current crop of retirees happy. They couldn't care less that Social Security is a HUGE loser to most of us, and a TOTAL loss, in all likelihood, for those in my age group.
The Amish also take very few, if any, benefits out of society. They refuse most, if not all, entitlements, not just Social Security. Insurance is unknown to them, they pay cash for services. School taxes are paid on the properties (yes, usually at a lower agricultural rate) and their kids go to their own schools.
Some form of Social Security will likely always be there. I don't know how old you are but if you've paid that much in you must be close to retirement age, unless you're counting your employer's contribution.
... Are religious grounds the only way to forfeit ones SS rights?
SS is not a 'right'.
Each person who has an SS policy had to apply for it. SS is a voluntary system. You may apply for a policy, or you may simply never apply.
There are a number of religious groups whose members can opt-out from SS.
I have assisted ten people to opt-out from SS, it is simply a matter of filing the forms. However you should never lie to the IRS. Doing any kind of fraud with them could be very serious.
If you truly do believe that SS is wrong and that your sufficiency is in God, then you likely already belong to one of the churches that is allowed to opt-out.
Of course for most members of those churches, they never asked for a SS policy, so there is no need for them to opt-out.
Let us know how it works out. I can grow a pretty good beard in just a couple of days.
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