Get your taxes done using TurboTax

We need to know if you are correctly using the term SSI since so many people use it incorrectly.   Social Security benefits and SSI are not the same thing.    Which are you receiving?

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AND SSI?

https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-over-ussi.htm

 

If you receive SSI you will not get any sort of tax document.   SSI is not taxable and does not ever get entered on a tax return.

 

If you receive Social Security, you will get a SSA1099 in January from Social Security.  If your ONLY income is Social Security you are not required to file a tax return unless you have a 1095A for having marketplace health insurance.   If you have a SSA1099 and some OTHER sources of income, then you might need to file a tax return.

 

 

As to your question about filing a joint return---if you are legally married your filing choices are to file married filing jointly or married filing separately.   You are allowed to file a joint return even if one spouse has little or no income, or even if you live apart if you both agree to file a joint return.   What you have not mentioned to us is what kind of income your spouse has, and whether your spouse wants to file a joint return.   

 

We can be more helpful with this if you will explain what income you have---is it Social Security---or is it SSI?   And what income does your spouse have?   Does your spouse WANT to file a joint return?

 

 

 

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**