This guide covers U.S. federal Social Security records. If your gig work is treated as self-employment, Social Security and Medicare taxes generally are not deducted from each platform payment: you report net earnings on your federal tax return, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses that information for your earnings record. If you are treated as an employee, payroll withholding generally applies instead.
First, determine whether you were an employee or self-employed
Gig work is not automatically self-employment. If you are unsure how a payer classified your work, ask the payer or employer or check your worker status using the IRS guidance at Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee? Employees generally have Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld through payroll. Self-employed workers generally report and pay those taxes through federal tax filing.
For a self-employed sole proprietor, the IRS generally directs workers to report business income and expenses on Schedule C and calculate self-employment tax on Schedule SE. Net earnings are not the same as gross platform payouts: allowable business expenses affect the net amount reported. Gig income is reportable even if you did not receive an information return such as a 1099.
Check what you reported on your federal tax return
For the relevant tax year, review the return you actually filed, including Schedule SE and the business schedule used to calculate net earnings. A platform payment summary or 1099 by itself does not establish that self-employment earnings were reported to SSA. If you filed an amended return, keep and review that filing too. The IRS explains that SSA uses Schedule SE information to figure Social Security benefits on its Topic No. 554, Self-Employment Tax page.
For tax year 2025, the IRS instructions generally require Schedule SE when net earnings from self-employment are at least $400, subject to exceptions. That threshold is specific to 2025; use the instructions for the tax year you are checking. The 2025 instructions also set a $176,100 maximum amount of self-employment income subject to Social Security tax. The standard self-employment tax description includes a 12.4% Social Security component and a 2.9% Medicare component, but wage-base limits and other rules affect the calculation. Consult the applicable year’s IRS instructions rather than applying these figures to another year. See the 2025 Instructions for Schedule SE.
How to check your Social Security earnings record
- Sign in to my Social Security. Use your personal account on the SSA my Social Security site.
- Open your earnings record. Review the earnings history by year and check that reported earnings are consistent with your filed returns and other records.
- Save or request a statement if needed. If you cannot access the account, SSA says you can request a Social Security Statement by mail or contact the agency by phone. Its Social Security Statement information describes record review and available options.
SSA recommends checking your earnings record annually and comparing it with your own records. Its page on reviewing your earnings record notes that current-year and prior-year earnings may not yet appear. The agency does not give one universal posting date for newly filed earnings, so a recent blank year alone does not prove a permanent error. For self-employed workers, SSA puts it plainly: “If you’re self-employed, you tell us directly.”
What to compare if earnings are missing or incorrect
Compare each year on the SSA record with the federal return filed for that year, focusing on the self-employment net earnings reported through Schedule SE and the supporting business schedules. Platform summaries, receipts, business records, and proof of filing can help explain a discrepancy, but gross payments alone are not the amount used to determine covered earnings.
Keep copies of the filed return, Schedule SE, relevant business schedules, amended filings, and records supporting income and expenses. SSA says tax returns and other documents showing work may support a correction request; its earnings record publication discusses checking records and documentation.
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If you find a confirmed error, contact SSA promptly and provide documents that support the correct earnings. SSA may allow an online correction through my Social Security in some cases, but online eligibility varies. Follow the agency’s current directions on its How do I correct my earnings record? page. You can also call 1-800-772-1213; TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778. SSA may direct you to file Form SSA-7008 or request other supporting records.
The ordinary time limit for correcting an earnings record is 3 years, 3 months, and 15 days after the end of the taxable year in which the earnings were received. SSA lists exceptions, including circumstances involving records that can be corrected from tax returns or errors evident from agency records. Do not assume the ordinary period rules out a correction: contact SSA even if the year is older. See the agency’s earnings record correction deadline FAQ.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If payroll withholding should have applied
If your work was treated as employment, use your W-2 and payroll records rather than Schedule SE to check the earnings reported. Compare the wages shown on the SSA record with the wage documents for the relevant year. If they do not match, contact SSA using the correction options above and have your W-2 and other supporting payroll documents ready.
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