Wife has SSA-1099 lump sum payment for 2014, 2015, on her 2017 SSA-1099. I need help

[JulieH1 · Accepted solution]

A lump-sum payment is simply a one-time Social Security payment that you received for prior-year benefits. When someone is granted disability benefits, for example, they will receive a lump sum to cover the entire time since they first applied for disability; this period could cover months or years.

After you enter your SSA-1099 information, we'll ask if you received a lump-sum Social Security payment. If you didn't receive one, just answer No and move on.

Otherwise, answer Yes and follow the onscreen instructions. Your SSA-1099 lump-sum section breaks down the payments into what amount was received for each preceding year. You can only enter one year at a time; when finished, click Add Another Lump Sum if you need to enter benefits received for a different tax year.

While your lump sum may include benefit payments for more than one year, you do not have to file an amended tax return for any prior year. You might need to pay taxes on a small portion of your lump-sum payment. However, you might be able to avoid these taxes by apportioning prior year benefits to those previous years’ income (still without filing any amended returns). 

After you enter your lump-sum Social Security payment information, TurboTax will automatically figure what if any taxes you owe due to the lump-sum payment.