Most employers must withhold social security tax from your wages. Certain government employers (some federal, state, and local governments) do not have to withhold social security tax.

If you work for a railroad employer, your employer must withhold tier 1 railroad retirement (RRTA) tax and tier 2 RRTA tax.

If you had more than one employer during 2002 and your total wages were over $84,900, too much social security tax or Tier 1 RRTA may have been withheld. If you had more than one railroad employer during 2002, and your total compensation was over $63,000, too much Tier 2 railroad retirement (RRTA) tax may have been withheld. In either situation, you may be able to claim the excess as a credit against your income tax. If you only had one employer and too much social security or RRTA taxes were withheld, you cannot claim the excess as a credit or file a claim for a refund of the excess. Your employer must make an adjustment of the excess for you.

If you are claiming excess social security or RRTA tax withholding, you cannot file Form 1040EZ (PDF). You must file Form 1040 (PDF) or Form 1040A (PDF). To claim a refund of the Tier 2 RRTA tax, use Form 843 (PDF), Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement. If you are filing a joint return, you cannot add any social security or RRTA tax withheld from your spouse's income to the amount withheld from your income. You must figure the credit separately for both you and your spouse to determine if either of you had excess withholding.

For details, including how to compute the amount of excess credit, refer to Publication 505 (PDF), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.

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