Self-employment tax is a type of tax that self-employed individuals must pay to the government. It is similar to the Social Security and Medicare taxes that employees pay, but self-employed individuals are responsible for paying both the employee and employer portions of these taxes since they are considered both the business owner and employee.
Self-employment tax is important because it funds Social Security and Medicare benefits. Social Security provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, while Medicare provides health insurance for people over the age of 65. By paying self-employment tax, self-employed individuals are ensuring that they will have access to these important benefits in the future.