Hi I have paid in to social security for 15 years then I took a new job overseas my new employer is 100 percent foreign company I file my taxes ect each year as I should but I notice I'm not paying into my social security as my employer does not provide any option to do so. Do I have the option to pay myself and what's the minimum to pay to keep the window open for me to be eligible for social security disability if needed or retirement when I come of age thanks.

Hi,

No, you can't voluntarily pay Social Security taxes on wages that you receive from an overseas employer. However, if you were self-employed as an independent contractor and subject to U.S. taxes, then you would likely be required to pay Social Security self-employment taxes.

If you've paid into Social Security for 15 years, then you likely already have the 40 quarters of coverage needed to qualify for retirement benefits when you are at least age 62. But in order to be insured for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI), you must normally have at least 20 quarters of coverage within the 40 quarter period leading up to your disability onset. In other words, you would likely be unable to qualify for SSDI after you've stopped paying into Social Security for more than 5 years. There's no way to remain insured for SSDI other than by paying Social Security taxes based on covered wages or self-employment earnings.

Best, Jerry