can I pay social security tax voluntarily?

Regardless of whether you are allowed to, its almost certainly not the most financial smart thing to do. You would be better off investing on your own the amount you wish to pay in taxes. The return on investment of social security is low and who knows what the gov't will do to change its structure in the future.

Not possible. And here is why.

Future benefits are not based on taxes paid into the system, but rather on actual earnings per year. ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

I don't think so. SS taxes, by definition, are assessed as a percentage of your earnings, so with no earnings there is no tax due. Each "quarter" for qualification requires a minimum of about $1000 in earnings, or about $4,000 for the year. You can Qualify for a maximum of 4 quarters each year, even if the earnings are only earned in one calendar quarter. Get a part time job.

No, social security contributions are not voluntary. If you have income subject to FICA then you pay, else not. Some public employers who offer a pension meeting certain rules can offer that pension plan in lieu of social security and opt out of social security. There are also rules for SECA tax for ministers. If you have self employed income, certain farm income, tip income or income earned as an employee by the employer has failed to withhold FICA, you can pay FICA or self employment tax. But if you ae not receiving income subject to FICA or self employment then you cannot voluntarily pay into the system.

-- ArtKamlet at a o l dot c o m Columbus OH K2PZH

I know this is kind of far-fetched, but ...

What if your spouse hires you to clean the yard. You fill out a schedule C and pay the social security tax. The down side is that you have to pay income taxes on the earnings as well, but if your income is low enough, that won't matter. Aren't SS benefits based on quarters worked? Should you file quarterly estimated tax payments so that the Social Security Administration thinks that you worked all quarters of a year? Now this is really getting far-fetched ... What if you have children and low income. Can you claim the earned-income credit?

Well now, Dan, quarterly estimated payments are to the IRS only, and SSA doesn't know or care what you pay in during the year. When the schedule se if filed year's end that total alone governs who many quarters one worked. A related discussion we've had before involves paying kids and then taking that money kids "earned" and putting into a ROTH account. Nothing wrong with that. But one spouse employing another to do yard work? Sounds similar, doesn't it? But still smells fishy you will admit I'm sure. No, the money one spouse might "spend" paying the other plus associated se and maybe federal and state income taxes is better spent investing in quality mutual funds.

I don't know, but there's GOT to be something SOMEwhere which would preclude this. ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

Furthermore, while you're at it, you might consider such earnings available for contribution to a ROTH IRA. (grin ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA