Not even when an AARP article where Lisa G-L, a CPA. and tax expert with TT says and I quote: if your income was more in 2025 (than in 2024), it would definitely benefit you to make that election. And I instructed my CPA to look into that and get back to me if it would be beneficial for us to do this. As soon as I paid and tax return was submitted and accepted, they (TT) disabled the chat feature, so I’ve not been able to get a straight answer in exactly how the calculation was made.
the article went on to say beneficiaries who received reduced SSA payments in 2024 due to the WEP-GPO recouped that money in 2025 via a lump sum payment from SSA and is clearly shown on the 2025 SSA-1099. I had to prompt my CPA tax expert to find that and tell him what the WEP-GPO was all about. Who is the expert here?
further the article goes on, because rpthese payments count as 2025 income, they could push some beneficiaries in to a higher tax bracket or increase the amount of their taxable SS income for the year.
this is exactly what happened to us and gave us a whopping total income of 172,677 - 33,017 more than for 2024. That year, there was no lump sum for SSA beneficiaries, it all started in 2025, affecting some 3 million beneficiaries, all in the same boat as us.
and yes, our income in 2025 was MORE than in 2024, so it would behove us to look at the lump sum election to LOWER our tax liability. I asked my TT CPA to look in to that but because the way TT Full Service is set up once you file, the chat feature is permanently disabled and you have to rely on random phone tags! Three times in the past 2 weeks he’s tried to get a hold of me, left a VM only once. While I have spoken to three other TT CPAs, none of whom could fully address my questions on this or another question and it’s almost impossible to communicate now.
i can’t even ask simple, non-complicated questions as a first-time user.
tell me this, what is the purpose of the lump sum method over the standard 85% for MFJ if not to possibly reduce yoyr tax liability? And if you’re going to do the 85% anyway, why also check box box 6c? Two fundamental questions no one has been able to supply an adequate answer yet.
i would not be having so many issues if communication were set up differently and chat option not disabled after you paid and return sent. BTW, yes, I know it’s in the Ts& Cs, but again, instead of pressuring me to file before Feb 28 and lock in the price, he could have also told me that tidbit of info and prevented some grief here.
Seriously thinking of going back to face-face tax preparers. At least they would answer all your questions before, during and after filing, not cut you off and leave you hanging…….
