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US totalization agreement checker

Check whether the country you work in has a US social security (totalization) agreement, when it entered into force, and what it means for the self-employment tax the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion cannot remove.
Your situation

Agreements currently in force

30 agreements, with the date each entered into force. Recorded from the Social Security Administration's published list and re-verified annually.

CountryIn force since
AustraliaOctober 2002
AustriaNovember 1991
BelgiumJuly 1984
BrazilOctober 2018
CanadaAugust 1984
ChileDecember 2001
Czech RepublicJanuary 2009
DenmarkOctober 2008
FinlandNovember 1992
FranceJuly 1988
GermanyDecember 1979
GreeceSeptember 1994
HungarySeptember 2016
IcelandMarch 2019
IrelandSeptember 1993
ItalyNovember 1978
JapanOctober 2005
LuxembourgNovember 1993
NetherlandsNovember 1990
NorwayJuly 1984
PolandMarch 2009
PortugalAugust 1989
Slovak RepublicMay 2014
SloveniaFebruary 2019
South KoreaApril 2001
SpainApril 1988
SwedenJanuary 1987
SwitzerlandNovember 1980
United KingdomJanuary 1985
UruguayNovember 2018

Source: SSA, U.S. International Social Security Agreements.

Common questions

What is a totalization agreement?

A totalization agreement is a treaty between the United States and another country that assigns social-security coverage for a given worker to exactly one of the two systems, so the same earnings are not charged twice. The United States has 30 such agreements in force. They also let periods of contribution in both countries be combined when testing eligibility for benefits.

Which countries have a US totalization agreement?

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Uruguay. Agreements enter into force by treaty action, so this list changes; verify at ssa.gov before relying on it.

Does Mexico have a totalization agreement with the US?

No agreement is in force. One was signed in 2004 but has never entered into force, so it gives no relief today. A self-employed US citizen living in Mexico generally owes US self-employment tax in full.

How do I get a certificate of coverage?

If a foreign system covers you, you apply to that country's social security authority. If you are temporarily sent abroad by a US employer and remain in the US system, your employer requests the certificate from the Social Security Administration. Keep the certificate with your tax records — it is the evidence supporting the position taken on your return.

Does a totalization agreement affect my income tax?

No. A totalization agreement deals with social security contributions only. Income tax is governed separately, by the income tax treaty with that country if one exists. You still file a US return and report your worldwide income regardless of any totalization agreement.

How Atamatax calculations are produced — the tests applied, statutory sources and review cadence — is documented in the methodology, and what is and is not reviewed in accuracy & review. Calculation fixes are recorded in the changelog.

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