Get the 411 on Summer Jobs & Taxes

Summertime is here and if you’re like most parents or guardians, you’d like for your child to be productive while they’re on summer break and possibly get a summer job, which would help build their work ethic and take some of the financial burden off of you for a few months. As excited as your child may be to make his/her own money, there are a few things that they should be made aware of prior to seeing that chunk of money missing from their first paycheck.
Federal income taxes, social security taxes, and in some states, state & local income taxes, will be withheld from each paycheck to stay in compliance with the IRS.

Tips for Students with Summer Jobs:

WITHHOLDING TAX vs. ESTIMATED TAX PAYMENTS

  • Withholding Tax: Employees usually have their employer withhold taxes from their paychecks.
  • Estimated Tax: Self-employed persons may be responsible for paying taxes directly to the IRS after filing. These taxes can be paid in full or quarterly in a “Pay-As-You-Go” method.
    • PAYMENT DUE DATES/SCHEDULE:  
      • 1st Payment ~ April 18, 2017
      • 2nd Payment ~ June 15, 2017
      • 3rd Payment ~ Sept. 15, 2017
      • 4th Payment ~ Jan. 16, 2018
NEW EMPLOYEES
  • When getting a new job, you will be required to fill out a Form W-4 (Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate), which will determine how much federal income tax to withhold from your pay.
SELF-EMPLOYMENT
  • Keep record of your income and work related expenses (i.e. gas, mileage, tools, etc.) for jobs such as baby-sitting and lawn care. These costs may be able to be deducted, which will reduce the taxes you would have to pay back.
TIP INCOME
  • Working in a restaurant this summer? If so, did you know that all tip income is taxable? Employees who receive tips should do the following:
    • Keep record of your tips daily
    • Report tips to your employer
    • Report all tips on your income tax return
  • Cash tips of $20 or more received in any single month must be reported to your employer.
PAYROLL TAXES
  • You may earn too little from your summer job to owe income tax.
  • Employers usually have to withhold Social Security & Medicare Taxes
NEWSPAPER CARRIERS
  • Special rules apply to a newspaper carrier
  • Carriers under age 18 may be exempt from Social Security & Medicare Taxes
  • Other carriers may be considered self-employed if they meet certain conditions
ROTC PAY
  • Applicable to students enrolled in ROTC
  • Active Duty Pay (for example: Summer Advanced Camp) is taxable
Before you know it, summer break will be over and school will be back in session. So what about those taxes that were taken out from each check? Your employer will provide you with a Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) by January 31 of the following year.
This document will show you how much you earned overall in wages, tips, and other compensation for that year. You must have this form when filing your tax return. Tax returns for 2018 are due by Tuesday, April 18, and can be filed online using ExpressIRSForms.
If you happen to miss that date or need more time to gather information, file a quick and easy extension with ExpressExtension and automatically get six extra months to file!
If you have any questions regarding the e-filing process give the dedicated ExpressExtension support team a call. We’re available Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM EST at 803.514.5155. We also are available via live chat and offer 24/7 email support at [email protected].
For more tax blogs visit ExpressExtension.com and please share your tips about summer jobs and taxes in the comment section below.

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