Politics & Government

Paycheck A Little Smaller? Here's Why...

You may have been spared from paying more in income taxes, but your paycheck may have taken a hit after the Fiscal Cliff Tax Deal was reached earlier this month. Here's all you need to know...

If you take a close look at your first 2013 paystub you will probably notice that Uncle Sam took a bigger chunk of your pay for Social Security.

Taxpayers got a temporary holiday from paying the full 6.2 percent beginning in 2011, but that is over thanks to the fiscal cliff tax deal reached earlier this month.

That legislation stopped the income tax hikes for most Americans, but the Social Security payroll tax holiday was allowed to expire. AOL explains it like this:

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Social security is financed by a 12.4 percent tax on wages, with employers paying half and workers paying the other half. During the temporary holiday, the employee contribution was reduced to 4.2 percent in 2011 and 2012, saving a typical family about $1,000 a year.Β 

To see this in a different way, check out this bar graph showing how much more in taxes people will have to pay by income.

Find out what's happening in Oak Creekwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Closer to home, we asked on Facebook how much lighter your paycheck was and how you felt about it. Here’s what people had to say:

Kathie Johannes I will find out on the 15th as it is the first payday of the year for us both. I heard it is in the social security area. UGH...there goes my raise I guess.

Marshall Guthrie Remember....Elections have consequences! Too bad people didn't pay more attention to things like this BEFORE the election!

Jake Mossman just paying the percentage that we use to pay..not that I'm okay with it or anything

Jill Brooks We are taking about $80 less a month home. That is coming out of our 'entertainment' budget. We do not go to the movies (got Netflix) and will probably drop our landline this year. Weekly 'nice restaurant' nights will be dinner at home and out for dessert or a drink. Soooo....we suffer, small businesses suffer and for what? To run the government for a few days.


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