Is there any chance to avoid or recover the Social Security and Medicare taxes?

Question

From Texas. I'm not a US citizen and I my contract is finishing in 3 years. Is there any chance to avoid those taxes or recover them after the contract expiration?

I understand the social value of my contribution, but I have enough with the Income tax and private insurance.

Answer 1

Even we citizens would rather avoid SS and finance our retirement ourselves but unfortunately we can't.  Unless you were here on a student visa, in which case you can avoid ss and medicare for your first five years, everybody else except clergymen have to pay it.  Sorry.

Answer 2

There are some exceptions not mentioned in the previous answers.  Check IRS Publication 519, pages 48 and 49.

Answer 3

No.

Answer 4

The only variation is if the US and your country have a totalization agreement....

Eg, you work for company A in Canada and are normally paying into the Canadian retirement system and then were transferred temporarily to work in the US (less than 5 years).  You could have been certified and as of the certification date would continue to pay into the Canadian system instead of the US system.

If your country doesn't have a totalization agreement (for example India or Mexico don't have one) or you were hired in the US by the US employer, you are still subject to FICA/Medicare.  If you achieve the requisite credits (10 years of work), you would be eligible for a small benefit at 66.