What Is Medicare Tax?

Medicare tax is a 1.45% tax on ALL wages with no cap (unlike Social Security). High earners pay an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages exceeding $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly), bringing their total Medicare rate to 2.35%. This tax funds Part A of Medicare, which covers hospital insurance for people 65 and older and those with certain disabilities.

Common paystub code: MED / MEDEE

Where You'll See Medicare Tax

Related Terms

Generate a paystub showing Medicare Tax clearly with our free paystub generator, or browse the full payroll glossary (44+ terms explained).

This paystub generator is a simulation/mockup tool for personal record-keeping and verification purposes only.