Taxable Social Security Benefits: Do You Need to Pay Taxes?

You may or may not need to pay income taxes on your social security benefits.

Depending on your marital status and total income – wages, self-employment, interest, dividends – that is reported on your tax return, up to 85 percent of your social security benefits may be taxable.

According to the IRS, generally speaking, if your social security benefits were the only source of income for the previous year, your benefits are probably not taxable and you most likely will not have to file a tax return.

The following tax tips from the IRS will help you to determine if your social security benefits are taxable.

Seven Tips to Help You Determine if Your Social Security Benefits are Taxable

IRS Tax Tip 2012-26, February 8. 2012

Many people may not realize the Social Security benefits they received in 2011 may be taxable. All Social Security recipients should receive a Form SSA-1099 from the Social Security Administration which shows the total amount of their benefits. You can use this information to help you determine if your benefits are taxable. Here are seven tips from the IRS to help you:

1. How much – if any – of your Social Security benefits are taxable depends on your total income and marital status.
2. Generally, if Social Security benefits were your only income for 2011, your benefits are not taxable and you probably do not need to file a federal income tax return.
3. If you received income from other sources, your benefits will not be taxed unless your modified adjusted gross income is more than the base amount for your filing status (see below).
4. Your taxable benefits and modified adjusted gross income are figured on a worksheet in the Form 1040A or Form 1040 Instruction booklet. Your tax software program will also figure this for you.
5. You can do the following quick computation to determine whether some of your benefits may be taxable:
   • First, add one-half of the total Social Security benefits you received to all your other income, including any tax-exempt interest and other exclusions from income.

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   • Then, compare this total to the base amount for your filing status. If the total is more than your base amount, some of your benefits may be taxable.
6. The 2011 base amounts are:
   • $32,000 for married couples filing jointly.
   • $25,000 for single, head of household, qualifying widow/widower with a dependent child, or married individuals filing separately who did not live with their spouse at any time during the year.
• $0 for married persons filing separately who lived together during the year.
7. For additional information on the taxability of Social Security benefits, see IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits. You can get a copy of Publication 915 at www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Links:

• Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits

Videos:

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If you have questions about your income tax liability relative to your social security benefits, talk to your CPA or tax advisor for guidance, or contact your state or local taxing authority for information.