Waiting until Jan 2022 is a valid income tax strategy to reduce your income tax if your other income will be lower in 2022. This is a decision you need to make using all the information available. Of course do you need the money or can you wait ? The SS benefits could go up if you wait. Of course even if the SS is 85% taxable that would still mean that for every $ you get from SS 85 cents is taxable at say 12% then that means for every $ you get you pay 10 cents in tax but you still have 90 cents in your pocket.
