topic Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly? in Retirement tax questions

Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

espanad — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:44:38 GMT

Our total Social Security income is $57,156. The worksheet form shows a total of $49630. What gives?

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

RogerD1 — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:20:27 GMT

The form shows the Net Benefits you received in box 5 of your SSA-1099 forms, which is $49,630 - it looks like one of you received $35,590 and one of you received $14,040 which should match the amounts that were in box 5 of your SSA-1099 forms. Recheck your entries on the Social Security entry screen to be sure that they are correct.

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

rjs — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:24:16 GMT

The amount of Social Security income that you enter on your tax return is the amount in box 5 or your Form SSA-1099.

What is the exact amount in box 5 of your Form SSA-1099?

What is the exact amount in box 5 of your spouse's Form SSA-1099?

Are those the amounts that you added to get the total of $57,156?

The total on line 1a of the Social Security Benefits Worksheet is the sum of the Taxpayer and Spouse amounts on line A. The amounts on line A are the amounts that you entered. If those amounts do not match box 5 of your SSA-1099s, go back to where you entered your Social Security income and check your entries.

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

SteamTrain — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:39:28 GMT

Oh yeah, they probably didn't enter what the SSA calls the Net benefits on box 5.

The difference between the 49k number and the 57k number is exactly the total of all the Medicare insurance, and Fed withholding deductions

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

VolvoGirl — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:54:54 GMT

I see where you got 57,156. You don’t add the premiums and withholding to the net benefits in box 5. Box 5 is not the net amount you got in the bank. Box 5 is the Total income you got from Social Security before (not minus) the tax withholding and insurance premiums were deducted.

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

SteamTrain — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:07:07 GMT

@VolvoGirl long day in the Forum?

Box 5 number is before the premiums & withholding are subtracted. (99% sure?)

The SS "Net" text in box 5 , just refers to gross total minus any SS Repayments done, i.e. box 3-box 4.

Thus, I was saying that the box 5s on their actual SSA-1099s might actually be ~40,692 and 16,464

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

VolvoGirl — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:57:25 GMT

@SteamTrain Did I fix it right? I used the wrong word “minus”. It should have been “before”. We were posting at the same time so I hadn’t seen your post.

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

espanad — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:00:44 GMT

Thanks for the help.

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

SteamTrain — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:09:41 GMT

@espanad

Yeah, but please....what was the actual solution?

Clearing up what was perhaps mis-placed/mis-entered could help others with a similar situation.

_____________________

@VolvoGirl not sure what the actual solution was for this problem...yet

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

SteamTrain — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:41:34 GMT

@VolvoGirl

Lost my internet for awhile....panicking while I restarted stuff took too long.

My battery backup actually failed with a relatively new battery.

That edit made more sense.......i.e. before vs minus

____________________

Anyhow, I can see it could have been two different things:

Either:

1) they didn't actually have the right numbers entered into their box 5

or,

2) They added all the existing boxes up and only thought the gross total should have been $57k.

Re: Why is 2025 Social Security not adding correctly?

rjs — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:59:15 GMT

... Or, 3) they entered the "Paid by check or Direct deposit" amount from the description box on the left side of the SSA-1099 instead of the amount from box 5.