Changes for payroll taxes, Social Security benefits.(PAYROLL TAXES)(Brief Article)

Next year's FICA wage base may not be as high as first thought.

The 2005 wage base is now projected to be $89,400, a $1,500 rise over this year, according to recent executive branch budget predictions. Earlier this year, the Social Security trustees expected that the figure would be $89,700 in 2005. The official number will be issued in mid-Oct.

Refund claims for FICA on severance pay are in limbo for a while. In 2002, the Court of Federal Claims ruled that severance pay for workers laid off involuntarily is exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes.