# Self employment tax on someone who falls below the poverty line - can this be right?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-employment-tax-on-someone-who-falls-below-the-poverty-line-can-this-be-right/717152>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-employment-tax-on-someone-who-falls-below-the-poverty-line-can-this-be-right/717152 "2015-04-08T19:32:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

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**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-employment-tax-on-someone-who-falls-below-the-poverty-line-can-this-be-right/717152/6 "2015-04-08T20:01:10Z")

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The payroll tax comes in at practically the first dime of income. No exemptions, no refunds. If you are self-employed, you pay the employer and employee portions, currently 7.50% each. The reason politicians are always screaming to raise the minimum wage? Not for the poor stiffs making it. Brings up the take from the payroll tax.

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