Is Social Security taxable??

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

Up to 85% of Social Security becomes taxable when all your other income plus 1/2 your social security, reaches:
Married Filing Jointly: $32,000
Single or head of household: $25,000
Married Filing Separately: 0

[Hal_Al]

It's not a simple yes or no question. Social security only becomes taxable when added to sufficient other income. If you are otherwise required to file a tax return, you do need to enter it in Turbotax (TT). TT will determine the taxable portion, if any.

If your only income is SS, it is not taxable and you do not even need to file a return (unless you are married. Then it would depend on your spouse's income)

[jane-binger]

thank you

[SweetieJean]

State taxability varies

[rjs]

Even if Social Security is your only income, you have to file a tax return if you received advance premium tax credit for health insurance.

[jane-binger]

right

[elsalto77]

My social security tax withheld is 828 do I get any refund?

[Hal_Al]

It depends on what you mean.  If "social security tax withheld" refers to box 4 of your W-2, then no you don't get a refund.  If you mean box 6 of form SSA-1099, then yes that is refundable, assuming you have no other income. It does mean you need to file a tax return.

[mgmcajun]

does turbotax calculate to determine if social security is taxable?

[JamesG1]

TurboTax determines how much, if any, of your Social Security benefits is included in taxable income.

IRS publication 915 reads:

How Much Is Taxable?

If part of your benefits are taxable, how much is taxable depends on the total amount of your benefits and other income. Generally, the higher that total amount, the greater the taxable part of your benefits.

Maximum taxable part.

Generally, up to 50% of your benefits will be taxable. However, up to 85% of your benefits can be taxable if either of the following situations applies to you.

• The total of one-half of your benefits and all your other income is more than $34,000 ($44,000 if you are married filing jointly).
• You are married filing separately and lived with your spouse at any time during 2019.

[Pmills23]

Filled out TurboTax 1040-SR with all required info for wages including Social Security totals. My total income should have been $53438.  But after I completed all forms and submitted to IRS and printed my return, I was surprised that my Adjusted Gross Income did not include my Social Security Payments. 
cannot find a phone number or link to actually talk to someone from Turbo Tax about this glaring mistake in their software. 
anyone have a phone number?

[DoninGA]

@Pmills23  What tax year are you completing?

If 2020, how did you enter your income to include the SS benefits?  If you are using the desktop editions in Forms mode you probably missed something.

There is no systemic issue with calculating SS benefits using the TurboTax software.  It is not advisable to try completing a tax return in Forms mode.  Use the Step-by-Step interview since it uses the software to correctly use any of the IRS calculations.

Use this TurboTax website to contact  support - https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact/

[Pmills23]

I used the Step by Step. Mistake is on their end. 

[DoninGA]

Then contact TurboTax support for assistance.

I have completed 10 test returns using the TurboTax online and desktop editions without issue when entering income and SS benefits and have the correct amount of SS benefits taxes.

Also completed one personal return using the 2020 Premier desktop edition without issue with income and SS benefits entered.