You report the taxable portion of your Social Security benefits on line 6b of Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. Your benefits may be taxable if the total of (1) one-half of your benefits, plus (2) all of your other income, including tax-exempt interest, is greater than the base amount for your filing status.
What is the current maximum amount of taxable earnings for Social Security? In 2025, the maximum amount of earnings on which you must pay Social Security tax is $176,100. We raise this amount yearly to keep pace with increases in average wages. There is no maximum earnings amount for Medicare tax.
Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn and still receive your benefits.
You will pay federal income taxes on your benefits if your combined income (50% of your benefit amount plus any other earned income) exceeds $25,000/year filing individually or $32,000/year filing jointly.
The Social Security portion (OASDI) is 6.20% on earnings up to the applicable taxable maximum amount (see below).
“This is simply a way for Congress to obtain more revenue for the federal government at the expense of seniors who have already paid into Social Security.
The reason Social Security taxes are capped is that Social Security benefits are, too. Because the program is a social-insurance system, retirees can claim that they “earn” their benefits because the benefits are tied to their tax contributions.
At what age is Social Security no longer taxable? Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
You can have 7, 10, 12 or 22 percent of your monthly benefit withheld for taxes. Only these percentages can be withheld. Flat dollar amounts are not accepted. Sign the form and return it to your local Social Security office by mail or in person.
Substantial income includes wages, earnings from self-employment, interest, dividends, and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return. Between $25,000 and $34,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50% of your benefits. More than $34,000, up to 85% of your benefits may be taxable.
Generally, if Social Security benefits were your only income, your benefits are not taxable and you probably do not need to file a federal income tax return.
Single filers with a combined income of $25,000 to $34,000 must pay income taxes on up to 50% of their Social Security benefits. If your combined income is more than $34,000, you will pay taxes on up to 85% of your Social Security benefits. Do you need help figuring out your required minimum distributions?
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
Unearned Income is all income that is not earned such as Social Security benefits, pensions, State disability payments, unemployment benefits, interest income, dividends, and cash from friends and relatives. In-Kind Income is food, shelter, or both that you get for free or for less than its fair market value.
If they are single and that total comes to more than $25,000, then part of their Social Security benefits may be taxable. If they are married filing jointly, they should take half of their Social Security, plus half of their spouse's Social Security, and add that to all their combined income.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.
If you will reach full retirement age in 2025, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $62,160. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.
While you may have heard at some point that Social Security is no longer taxable after 70 or some other age, this isn't the case. In reality, Social Security is taxed at any age if your income exceeds a certain level.