What do I do when the SSA-1099 includes December 2017 income that was reclaimed January 2018 due to my spouse passing?

[gaylynn9]

my spouse died December 2017. in January 2018, the December 2017 payment was reclaimed. So now the SSA-1099 reflects 12 months of income but it should be for 11 months. Do I contact SS to have them send a revision? Do I enter the amount that I think it should be. Or does it get adjusted in my 2018 taxes when I have to file single?

[AnnetteB · Accepted solution]

Since the reclaim of the December payment did not happen until 2018, your 2017 SSA-1099 is correct in showing 12 months of income.  Enter the information as you received it.

You should receive a form in 2018 that will show the amount that was reclaimed in 2018. 

[linbob3694]

what if after determining the widow was eligible to receive the reclaimed amount she gets a 1099 2017 for the amount for December, husbands month of death.

[AnnetteB]

If it is reported on a 2017 SSA-1099, then it would be reported on the 2017 tax return.  Sometimes a lump sum payment for prior years is received in a later year (like a payment for 2017 received in 2018) and is reported on the later year's (2018) SSA-1099.  If that is the case, then TurboTax will walk you through reporting the prior year lump sum payment.