I am low end SS recipient at 587.00 mo. Expenses are rising and I must return to work. I do not want to pay into FICA or insurance or any other money grab the government will take. Can barley feed myself as it is. Can I just refuse to pay out if I am hired and how do I tell my employer this without freaking him out ? Thank you for reading this.

Hi,

No, you can't choose not to pay Social Security (FICA) taxes. Employers are required to withhold FICA taxes from an employee's covered earnings, and match them. It doesn't matter if you are already drawing Social Security benefits, or what your age is at the time that you have the earnings.

On a positive note, it's quite possible that your additional earnings will increase your Social Security benefit rate, possibly by more than enough to offset the taxes you'll pay (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf).

Best, Jerry