Reply #27: I don't know any more about this than you do.

[JDPriestly]

I have no special knowledge of tax law. I just saw this on my tax statements and on the W-2s my employers have given me over the years. It's different if you are self-employed i think.

If your claim were true, you would pay a tax on a tax. Let's say that your employer takes $2,000 out of your check to pay for Social Security taxes. You don't deduct that $2,000.
Your employer does not include that amount in calculating your annual salary. Therefore, you don't declare it as a part of your taxable income.

You don't pay it to the government when you pay your taxes if you are a regular employee. Your employer has already taken that amount out of your paycheck and paid it to the government as a part of payroll taxes. It just isn't included in the amount of income that you declare.

That was my experience when I was an employee.