If I am age 69, receiving social security and still working. Do I have to claim social security on my federal income tax, when I file

[Texas Roger · Accepted solution]

Yes you must enter your social security benefits on your tax return. Depending on how much other income you have, up to 85% of your social security benefits are taxable. To enter them, click Search then type in social security income and click on the spy glass then click on jump to.

[writersaresensit]

I thought that after age 68 you could earn up to 47,000 and not pay fed tax on social security? when did it change/ Also is there any age you can work (I earn about 35,000 annual pre tax) and not have to pay a tax on SS? Please Help me understand this. Blue

[VolvoGirl]

That is true.  There are 2 different things to know about social security. People get them mixed up all the time.

1. Your actual SS checks
If you are over full retirement age your actual ss checks won't be reduced. Otherwise they will actually reduce your payments if you make too much other income in the prior year.  See SS FAQ for working after retirement
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://faq.ssa.gov/link/portal/34011/34019/Article/3739/What-happens-if-I-work-and-get-Social-Secur...>


2. Income Tax
For any age 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

[pain-3689]

If I make under $25,000 in my job, do I still need to claim my SS income.  I am 64.

[xmasbaby0]

@pain&3689      Yes you still have to enter ALL  of your income on your tax return.
 Go to Federal> Wages & Income>>Retirement Plans and Social Security  (SSA1099 and 1099RRB) to enter your SSA1099.

[ljh055]

If I am earning 75k per year how much of my SS do I have to claim on my taxes?

[Critter-3]

@ljh055 

You MUST enter ALL the SS benefits listed on the SSA-1099 box 5  into  the TT program and the taxable portion will be computed automatically (which will be 85% at your income level).  Do not reduce the amount yourself or you will surely  get an IRS letter later with penalties and interest added.

What you should be more worried about is having enough withholdings  to cover the taxable portion of the SS benefits which you can do 3 ways :

1) have withholdings from the SS payments

2) have more withholdings from other sources like the paycheck

3) make quarterly estimated payments

[talo]

I have a friend who is 69 and collects SS not sure about his tax filing but claims he can make any amount of working earnings and it will not interfere with his benefits.  I am not so sure, and i don't want him to mess himself up. Any advice.

[VolvoGirl]

Right.  There are 2 different things to know about social security. People get them mixed up all the time.

1. Your actual SS checks

If you are over full retirement age your actual ss checks won't be reduced. Otherwise they will actually reduce your payments if you make too much other income in the prior year.  See SS FAQ for working after retirement

https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html

2. Income Tax

For any age 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

[Critter-3]

He is correct ... it will not negatively affect his monthly  SS benefits but it could actually increase them.  He can work all he wants however depending on how much he makes in the "job" it could make more of the SS benefits taxable on the return.  

[talo]

so other words since he is 69, his checks will not be reduced, and he can make up to 32,000 and not have his income taxed at all.

[VolvoGirl]

Right not reduced.   Is he married?   The 32,000 = all his & wife's other income plus 1/2 of SS. If the total is under 32,000 then only the Social Security won't be taxed.  He may still owe tax on his other income.

[talo]

He is married and his wife receives spousal benefits based on his employment history, not sure if that will affect his amount if he returns to work.

[talo]

right now, all he collects is SS and his wife collects spousal benefits, which he claims as his money, and he says he can make 32,000 on top of that and not be affected.