Taxable social security benefits - Publication 915 Lump-Sum Election Method

Forum|Forum|3 months ago
March 11, 2026
1 reply
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Hi there,

Has anyone had experience with using Publication 915 Lump-Sum Election Method for taxable social security benefits? I am using the desktop version Turbo Tax 2025 and could not figure out how to elect this method. Turbo Tax always uses Form 1040 Social Security Benefits Worksheet. What I found is for the same information, Turbo Tax and H&R Block give significant taxable social security benefits.

Thanks in advance.

AnnetteB6

Level 15

When you have received a lump sum Social Security payment in 2025 that applies to a prior year, TurboTax uses the method and worksheets found in Publication 915 to make the calculations necessary to include the correct amount of taxable Social Security on your 2025 return without needing to amend the prior year returns.

After you enter your information reported on your Form 1099-SSA, you will see a question about whether or not you received a lump sum payment. If you did, answer 'yes' and you will enter the year for which the payment was received along with additional information from that year's tax return. If you received a lump sum payment for more than one previous year, then you will go through this process for each year.

The worksheets will be completed in the background to determine whether the lump sum payments are taxable or not. You can see these worksheets by going to Forms at the top right section of the TurboTax screen.

Take a look at the following TurboTax help article to learn more:

What is a lump-sum Social Security payment?

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user17731832768Author

Level 2

@AnnetteB6 Thanks for your reply to the first part of my question.

@singlecrowe2 The second part of my question is: What I found is for the same information, Turbo Tax and H&R Block give significant taxable social security benefits.

Anyone has experience on this and what did you find?

Kind regards,