This was the first year that I took a withdrawal of my standard IRA and received SocSec benefits.

[monnie46]

I am 63, retired and married. My spouse is 72 and retired Civil Service.
I began receiving my Soc Sec Retirement benefit in 2025; it's less than $1k per month.  I also withdrew $8k from my standard IRA this spring. (Not a Roth IRA)
I understand that I pay tax on the IRA withdrawal. However, will it effect my Soc Sec benefit; that is, will I possibly have to pay back my Soc Sec retirement? Someone mentioned that since the IRA withdrawal is taxed, that Soc Sec will count it as (Working) Income which is restricted since I began my SocSec before my full retirement age of 67.  Any clarification is helpful.
Thank you.

[xmasbaby0]

A distribution from your retirement account is not "earned" income and will not affect your SS benefits.   In late January/early February you will receive a 1099R showing the money that you took from your IRA.   You will enter that 1099R and you will also enter the SSA1099 that Social Security mails to you.

Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can be taxable on your federal tax return.  There is no age limit for having to pay taxes on Social Security benefits if you have other sources of income along with the SS benefits.  When you have other income such as earnings from continuing to work, investment income, pensions, etc. up to 85% of your SS can be taxable. 

 What confuses people about this is that before you reach full retirement age, if you continue working while drawing SS, your benefits can be reduced if you earn over a certain limit. (For 2021 it was  $18,960.  For 2022 it was  $19,560  —  for 2023 $21,240)  For 2024, $22,320.  For 2025 it will be $23,400

After full retirement age, no matter how much you continue to earn, your benefits are not reduced by your earnings; your employer will still have to withhold for Social Security and Medicare.  If you work as an independent contractor then you will pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.

To see how much of your Social Security was taxable, look at lines 6a and 6b of your 2024 Form 1040

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/are-my-social-security-or-railroad-retirement-tier-i-benefits-taxable

You need to file a federal return if half your Social Security plus your other income is

Single or Head of Household      $25,000

Married Filing Jointly                  $32,000

Married Filing Separately            $0

Some additional information:  There are 9 states that tax Social Security—Colorado, Connecticut,, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont  and West Virginia These states offer varying degrees of income exemptions, but two mirror the federal tax schedule: MN and VT.

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE TAX WITHHELD FROM YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

https://www.ssa.gov/manage-benefits/request-withhold-taxes

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4-v

FIRST YEAR OF SOCIAL SECURITY

People get really confused when they start getting SS.   If you are not full retirement age, SS can reduce your benefits if you earn over a certain amount.  But they do not do that during the FIRST year that you transition from working to getting SS.  After that, if you are not full retirement age, they can reduce your benefit if you continue to work and earn over the limit.

None of that means that your SS is not taxable during the first year.   It is.   If you receive other income while receiving SS, your SS can be taxable.   If you were expecting SS to be "tax free" the first year, you were mistaken about how it works.

FIRST YEAR OF SS RULES

https://faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/article/KA-01927?msclkid=11bc282ccf2211ecb65078152b05ae6b

 Go to Federal> Wages & Income>>Retirement Plans and Social Security  (SSA1099 and 1099RRB) to enter your SSA1099.

To enter your retirement income, Go to  Federal> Wages and Income>Retirement Plans and Social Security>IRA  401 k) Pension Plan Withdrawals to enter your 1099R.

(You might need to go to the retirement account's website to get your 1099R, or you might be able to import it into the software.)

[Opus 17 · Accepted solution]

IRA withdrawals are not considered income from working, and will not result in a recalculation of your benefit.  

However, your benefit may be taxable, depending on your combined income with your spouse.  The benefit being taxable is different from the benefit being recalculated.