Your federal income tax: one way to fight back

I never want to pay my taxes but I do.  I don't have a problem with federal taxes.  I don't a problem with Medicare tax either.  But I do have a big problem with SS taxes.  Why should I have to do that?  Oh yeah, to pay forward to people that aren't responsible and don't save in life and trust the Govt that it actually be there.  Why do dems always want so much government instead of being responsible for themselves?  I don't understand their fascination with government so much.  I'm not saying get away from government completely but there should be just plenty of $ there with federal income taxes.  

And your examples are really weak above.  Flu prevention?  Can't you just go to Walgreens and get a flu shot?  Accurate weather projections?  Does that even exist?  Pollution prevention?  Huh?

The SS benefit is exempt from taxes in many states.  Move to one of those.

A lot of folks don't understand about wages, taxes, and Social Security. 

People who work a job pay FICA taxes (Federal Insurance Contributions Act), deducted from the paycheck.

6.2 % of gross wages.  Employer matches this for around some 15 %.

A worker pays FICA tax, and by doing so earns "credits" toward his SS benefits at retirement. 

True, today's workers help pay forward for the SS benefit in retirement (like group health insurance, you pay for others' babies or brain surgery you may never have to  have), or if they become disabled before retirement age, or have a child who is catastrophically disabled.  And true, there are some by whom unfair advantage is taken, but for the average you and I we work for what we ultimately get in retirement.  Is the SS check a living wage?  I'd say no for me, but it helps, and for some it is all they get for various reasons. 

Today I get a SS check because I paid FICA tax through all my 45+ years of jobs and earned the "credits" to add up to a SS check.  It isn't a comfortable living wage for sure, which is what I worked my job for 40+ years for, but it helps. If you are still working, your FICA taxes are 1) building up credits for your SS check when you retire, and 2) helping pay for my small SS check!  LOL.  Sorry.

Candy

They can shove their credits up their you-know-what.  It is garbage and like you said Candy, not a livable wage but had you not had to pony up 6.2% of that for 40+ years, you'd be swimming in $.  

But the 6.2% is FICA, the federal tax, not optional where I worked.  Might as well get something for the SS "credits". 

I was talking about federal income tax, not FICA, True, you can't choose not to pay FICA. That's why I wasn't referring to it as any way to fight back.

We won't be getting Social Security checks from the government in the very near future, though. DOGE will defund it and instead of a check, we'll all get coupons for 1% off a new Tesla. It's all in Project 2025. Read it.

The long game to play, therefore, is to be self-employed and earn money "under the table." You don't lose anything by not paying into FICA when there won't be any payout down the road for you. Interestingly, many advantage players do precisely that--they live an all-cash life and don't send Elon a dime. That's the ticket, ultimately. Or run an all-cash business out of your garage. Or rob convenience stores.

(Did you know that if you successfully rob a convenience store, the law is that you owe federal income taxes on your take?)