Actually, meara, that SSA FAQ is lying. You are never required to receive one cent from Social Security, no matter what your circumstances. You’re just required to pay the Social Security tax into the system. 
Even The Useless Pages, which makes fun of every government-conspiracy-theory web page under the sun, calls the Social Security system a “pyramid scheme.”
Very true. Their handbook states that certain ministers can get an exemption by signing an irrevocable statement refusing all SS benefits. However, it goes on to say that non-religious employment of that minister will still be subject to normal SS witholdings.
So a person is allowed to give up all benefits (in a legally binding way), but still has to pay in to a system that will never give him a dime???
Edlyn wrote:
I found form SS4, but that was only an application for an employer identification number and doesn’t seem like it can be used for an individual to get an ID number for his/her own tax returns.
I also found form W-7, “Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number”, but it’s not supposed to be used by U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, permanent U.S. residents, or anyone who is eligible to receive a Social Security Number.
What form would I use if I were a U.S. citizen and I wanted a non-SSN tax ID number?
meara wrote:
Well … no. The relevant passage in the Internal Revenue Code, section 3127, reads as follows:
IRC section 3101 is the law that imposes the social security tax on employees; section 3111 is the section that imposes the matching social security tax on employers.* This law implies, as you pointed out, that any wages paid by an anti-Social-Security church to its anti-Social-Security minister would not be subject to social security tax, but any wages paid by anybody else to that minister would be. However, I’m sure the minister is allowed to receive social security benefits when he retires that are based solely on the non-church wages he earned that were subject to Social Security tax.
*) Footnote: Yes, in case you didn’t already know, the amount shown as “FICA” on your paycheck stub is only half the money that gets sent to the Social Security Administration in your name every payday. Your employer is paying an amount equal to your FICA Withholding as an “employment tax”. The same goes for Medicare.
Tracer:
I have been unsuccessful tracking down that info for you. I have looked at old bookmarks kept on a disk, but cannot locate the particular one I remember. 
What may have been possible a few years ago may not be anymore.
Here is a link I found that you might find interesting: FAQ of SSN Their mention of GATT, etc., certainly raised my eyebrow. I have had to search through GATT agreements before concerning PTO issues, but I just might again.
My apologies.
You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims. -Harriet Woods-
Drat!
Try this link.
You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims. -Harriet Woods-