FICA Tax Refund help—get your Social Security & Medicare taxes back. Call +1-866-513-4656 for assistance.

If you notice excess Social Security or Medicare taxes deducted from your paycheck or wrongly paid for non-exempt employees in QuickBooks, the frustration is real. Many small business owners and employees often wonder—Can I get those FICA taxes back? Whether you’re dealing with a payroll setup error, duplicate payments, or nonresident employee refunds, the FICA Tax Refund process can be confusing.

Learn how to claim your FICA Tax Refund and get back Social Security & Medicare taxes. Call +1-866-513-4656 for expert guidance.

If your Social Security and Medicare taxes were overpaid or incorrectly filed, you may be eligible for a refund. To resolve it accurately through payroll adjustments or IRS Form 843, call +1-866-513-4656 for expert help with your QuickBooks FICA corrections.

What Is FICA Tax?

FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act, which funds Social Security and Medicare programs. Both employer and employee contribute:

• Social Security tax: 6.2% up to the annual wage base limit
• Medicare tax: 1.45% on all wages (with an additional 0.9% for high earners)

Together, these deductions ensure workers receive retirement and healthcare benefits later in life. However, mistakes during payroll processing, particularly in QuickBooks, can lead to overpayment or incorrect deduction of FICA taxes.

Common Reasons You May Get a FICA Tax Refund

Here are the major causes that can trigger a refund for Social Security and Medicare taxes:

1. Duplicate or Excess FICA Deductions

If income or paychecks are processed twice in QuickBooks or wages were assigned under multiple EINs, employees may have Social Security tax withheld beyond the annual limit. The IRS allows refunds for any over-withheld amounts.

2. Incorrect Payroll Setup in QuickBooks

When employees are misclassified (for example, as eligible for FICA when they are not), QuickBooks may automatically deduct the taxes. This often happens if you fail to set up nonresident aliens correctly.

3. Nonresident Alien or Exempt Employee

Certain visa holders (like F-1, J-1, M-1) are exempt from FICA, meaning both Social Security and Medicare taxes should not be withheld. If they were deducted, you can request a Social Security tax refund for nonresident aliens.

4. Change in Employee Status

If an employee moves from a FICA-exempt visa to resident status or vice versa, payroll adjustments might not update immediately. This mismatch often leads to partial-year overpayments.

5. Incorrect Employer Filing or Amended Return

Errors in Forms 941 or 944 can cause excess FICA liability. If discovered after submission, employers can request correction through amended returns and employee FICA refund claims.

How to Process a FICA Tax Refund in QuickBooks

Follow these steps carefully to verify, adjust, and process the FICA refund using either QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online.

For QuickBooks Online

1. Go to Payroll from the left navigation menu.
2. Choose Employees, then pick the employee affected.
3. Select Paycheck List > locate the erroneous check.
4. Click Void or Delete if taxes were incorrectly deducted.
5. Recreate the check with corrected tax settings (remove FICA where exempt).
6. Adjust payroll liabilities by running a tax liability report.
7. If overpayment was already deposited, process a liability adjustment via:

• Taxes > Payroll Taxes > Adjust Payroll Liabilities.

For QuickBooks Desktop

1. Go to Employees > Payroll Taxes and Liabilities > Adjust Payroll Liabilities.
2. Choose the correct effective date and employee name.
3. In the Tax Item field, select Social Security Employee or Medicare Employee.
4. Enter a negative amount equal to the overpaid tax to reduce the liability.
5. Add a note such as "FICA refund correction – nonresident overpayment".
6. Click Accounts Affected, select Do not affect accounts, and save.
7. Re-run your tax forms to confirm corrected totals.

If FICA deposits were already sent to the IRS, complete Form 941-X or Form 843 to claim the refund.

Prevention Tips

To avoid repeating FICA errors in QuickBooks:

• Review employee tax setup before the first payroll of each year.
• Confirm nonresident or exempt status using Form W-4 and tax treaty rules.
• Monitor annual Social Security wage limit updates.
• Run a year-end Payroll Summary Report to track overpayments.
• Consult a payroll expert via +1-866-513-4656 before making adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you get Social Security and Medicare tax back?

Yes, if over-withheld or paid in error, you can file for a FICA Tax Refund to recover those amounts.

2. Do you get Social Security tax back when you retire?

Not directly. The tax funds your future retirement benefits, which you receive as monthly payments, not as a refund.

3. Do we get Medicare tax back?

Similar to Social Security, Medicare tax is not refundable unless it was incorrectly withheld. It provides healthcare coverage post-retirement.

4. Why did I get a FICA refund?

A FICA refund usually indicates your employer corrected overpayments or misapplied deductions for one or more pay periods.

5. What is the FICA refund IRS process?

To claim through the IRS, individuals use Form 843 (Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement) along with a statement from their employer showing FICA corrections.

6. How can I check my Social Security tax refund status?

You can contact the IRS for refund status or verify adjustment postings in your QuickBooks Payroll Liability report.

7. Is there a deadline to claim a FICA refund?

Yes. The general deadline is within three years from the date the original return was filed or two years from the date the tax was paid.

Correcting FICA overpayments and ensuring compliance can be tricky, especially when dealing with multiple employees or nonresident cases. For detailed assistance with FICA Tax Refund setups and payroll balance adjustments in QuickBooks, call +1-866-513-4656 to connect with a payroll specialist today.