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New Member
posted Jun 1, 2019 12:07:52 AM

My only income is social security but I own a home where I pay interest and mortgage insurance. Should I file taxes?

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20 Replies
Expert Alumni
Jun 1, 2019 12:07:53 AM

It's likely there will be no tax liability since social security is your only income.  In that case you would receive no benefit by using your mortgage interest and property taxes.  

The social security income is used in combination with your other income to make that determination.  Income such as interest from savings, dividends, capital gains/losses, etc.

If the first threshold of $25,000 for single ($32,000 for married filing joint), is met then some of your social security benefits will be taxed. The amount of other income plus half of your social security benefits are combined to determine exactly how much of it is taxed, but never more than 85%. 

TurboTax will do all the calculations and determine if any of your benefits are taxable.  The filing requirement chart is attached for you to review if you choose.

You can go directly to the area to review your entry by following these steps.

1. Sign into your account and select your current return.

2. Select  My Account on the top right and then select Tools

3. Select Topic Search (see attached image)

4. Search for ssa1099 and select Go

5. Follow the interview to enter or review your entry for these benefits.

New Member
Jun 1, 2019 12:07:55 AM

My son also lives with me and helps pay for the bills. If he claims me, then can he also claim the mortgage interest, PMI, & property taxes which is under my name?

Expert Alumni
Jun 1, 2019 12:07:57 AM

No, he must be liable for the home loan and own the property as his home to deduct those expenses.

New Member
Jun 1, 2019 12:08:02 AM

Thank you TurboTaxDianeW for the answers.

Expert Alumni
Jun 1, 2019 12:08:05 AM

You're Welcome!

New Member
Jun 1, 2019 12:08:06 AM

My ex husband and I own the house. The bill is in his name and I am on the deed. His only income is Social Security Dissability and cannot claim the Mortgage Interest paid, I pay the mortgage every month and have a solid income. Can I claim the Mortgage Interest on my Income taxes?

Expert Alumni
Jun 1, 2019 12:08:07 AM

@kittieou812 - It's best to post your question so that you can track your own answer. Simply click this link: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/">https://ttlc.intuit.com/</a>

New Member
Feb 16, 2021 12:27:28 PM

Help

Expert Alumni
Feb 16, 2021 12:37:38 PM

No.  However, if you live on Social Security benefits alone, you don't include this in gross incomeIf this is the only income you receive, then your gross income equals zero, and you don't have to file a federal income tax return.

However, if for some reason you had Federal withholdings taken out of your social security, they you should file to get that back.

New Member
Mar 24, 2021 9:37:35 AM

My only income is social security but I own a home and pay property taxes and have mortgage interest. Do I need to file.

Level 15
Mar 24, 2021 9:41:01 AM


@ydmxr09 wrote:

My only income is social security but I own a home and pay property taxes and have mortgage interest. Do I need to file.


The property taxes paid and mortgage interest paid are itemized deductions but are not a factor if your Only income reported on your tax return is from Social Security benefits.

 

If the Social Security benefits are the Only income to be reported on the tax return, then there is no reason or need to file a tax return.

Level 1
Sep 18, 2021 4:50:16 PM

@DoninGA My in-laws both get social security as their only income and pay interest, property taxes, and mortgage insurance. Is there a max amount they can both get before it is taxable? Just want to make sure they do not have to file taxes anymore. 

(they used to file jointly and stopped filing taxes in 2016)

 

Thanks in advance. 

Level 15
Sep 18, 2021 5:05:57 PM

@rosaaaguirrer If your inlaws only income is Social Security they do not have to file a tax return--unless they are having tax withheld from the SS, then they can file to receive a refund of the tax withheld.

 

Although they own a home and pay property tax etc, they should not expect to get a refund for home ownership.   If they have not paid any tax there is nothing from which to get a refund.

 

 

TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY

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 2017 that limit was $16,920 —for 2018 it was $17,040—for 2019 it was $17,640— for 2020 it is $18,240; for 2021 it is $18,960)  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.

To see how much of your Social Security was taxable, look at lines 6a and 6b of your 2020 Form 1040

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899144-is-my-social-security-income-taxable

 

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 $25,000 when filing single or head of household, or $32,000 when filing married filing jointly, $0 if you are filing married filing separately.

 

 

 

Some additional information:  There are 13 states that tax Social Security—Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.  These states offer varying degrees of income exemptions, but four mirror the federal tax schedule: MN, ND,VT, and WV

Level 15
Sep 18, 2021 6:15:53 PM

Q. Is there a max amount they can both get before it is taxable?

A. Yes. Theoretically, if they were both getting the maximum amount (currently $3113/Month*) or near the maximum amount, they would need to file a tax return, even if they had no other income

 

Social security (including SSDI) only becomes taxable when your total income, including 1/2 your social security, reaches $32,000 (Married Filing Jointly(MFJ)).  So, a couple receiving more than $64,000 of SS annually ($5333/Mo), would meet that  threshold. 

 

So, for most people, 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.

 

 

*$3895 for someone who waits for age 70 to start receiving SS

 

 

New Member
Feb 2, 2022 10:42:41 AM

My only income is my SSDI. I own a home. Can I somehow deduct the interest?

2) My 86 year old mom lives with me and am her caregiver. Can I get a deduction for being a caregiver since her and I are on either SSI or SSDI?

Thank you

Jeff

Level 15
Feb 2, 2022 10:53:14 AM

Sorry---but if you did not pay any tax then you have nothing to deduct on a tax return.   If your only income was Social Security you do not need to file a tax return.    Are you being paid in some way to be a caregiver?

 

Did you and your mom receive the stimulus checks?  If you get Social Security it should have been sent to you automatically.

New Member
Mar 21, 2023 11:12:10 AM

My son also lives with me and helps pay for the bills. If he claims me, then can he also claim the mortgage interest, PMI, & property taxes which is under my name?

Expert Alumni
Mar 21, 2023 11:36:46 AM

No, since in order for your son to claim the deduction he must have legal ownership of the property and a responsibility to pay the mortgage. Generally, this means that you both are on the mortgage and responsible for paying the loan.

The IRS lets you deduct your mortgage interest, but only if you itemize deductions

 

See the link below for more information:
 

Can I deduct my Mortgage Interest?

 

@sdonnelly12 

New Member
Apr 3, 2023 10:22:28 PM

My SSA, SSI, and dividends made from a short term bond fund is; $13,200, $645, and $1964.  $15,809 total.

Must I file taxes?

Do I pay taxes on Capital Gains?  The long term home we sold made profits.

Is the tax bracket for single, 69 yr old on benefits? %0 because of such low income?

 

Expert Alumni
Apr 4, 2023 6:43:27 AM

Single seniors must file a tax return when their taxable income is over $14,700 in 2022.  In the scenario that you presented, your taxable income would be approximately $1,109.00.  However, you have other considerations.

 

Capital gains are taxable but included in the $14,700

 

Sale of a home could be taxable but there are some exclusions that could potentially make that transaction not taxable for you.  You said long term home so I assume you have lived in the home at least 2 of the past 5 years and never rented this home out.

 

If you receive an informational income-reporting document such as Form 1099-S, Proceeds From Real Estate Transactions, you must report the sale of the home even if the gain from the sale is excludable. Additionally, you must report the sale of the home if you can't exclude all of your capital gain from income.

 

Also, As long as you owned and lived in the home for two of the five years before the sale, up to $250,000 of profit is tax-free. And if you're married and file a joint return, that amount doubles to $500,000. If your profit from the sale is more than that, the excess is reported as a capital gain.

 

Low income could mean that you have a very low to $0 tax rate.

 

If you need additional assistance, please come back to this forum.

@busterose