social scurity

[trsps1]

My total income exceeds $100K.  I've entered the Social Security benefits for myself & husband, but they do not appear in the total income.  Thus Turbo Tax has an estimated refund which is not correct, because the SS benefits are not being added by Turbo.  What is the problem and how can it be rectified?

[xmasbaby0]

What do you see on lines 6a and 6b?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/preview-turbotax-online-retur...

[rjs]

Only a portion of your Social Security benefits is taxable. Up to 85% of your benefits are taxable, depending on your other income. It's never all taxable. Only the taxable portion is included in your total income on line 9 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Line 6a is the total amount of your benefits, and line 6b is the amount that is taxable. Look at the actual Form 1040, not a summary screen in TurboTax. Line 6a should be the sum of box 5 on your husband's Form SSA-1099 and yours. If it's not, you entered one of the box 5 amounts incorrectly.

If line 6a is correct and line 6b is zero you probably answered a question wrong. After you enter the amounts from your SSA-1099 there is a question that asks if you lived in one of the eight foreign countries listed in the question. If you did not live in one of those countries you must answer No for both you and your husband. If you answer Yes, none of your Social Security benefits will be included in your total income, which is exactly what you say is happening. Go through the Social Security interview again and check your answers to that question. Read the question carefully.

[trsps1]

Hi Sunday,

Thank you for your reply.  I did check to make sure all the information was entered correctly, and still doubting the results I erased all my entries and started over, getting the same result.

What I didn't know, and was a great help, was being able to view the 1040SR before completing my taxes.  The form shows all our income, including both SS benefits.  I continue to be skeptical of the final reult; and may select the Turbo option of letting them do my taxes, which might ease my uncertainty. I know some tax laws have changed but none that would explain why my taxes are so much lower, unless being old counts.  Thank you again for your help.

trsps1

[SteamTrain]

@trsps1 

Well, now that you can look at your form 1040SR....the reason for a larger than normal refund  (But not if a "massive" one)  could be 2 increased deductions for seniors.

1)  If you end up with using the Std Deduction, that is much larger for Srs....that's on line 12e of the form 1040

2)   And new for 2025 taxes, an additional deduction "up-to" 6,000/spouse over age 65....i.e. as much as  12,000 if both spouses were at leas age 65 during 2025.  That extra deduction shows up as part of, or all of line 13b on the form 1040.  (I say, it can be "part of" line 13b, because a couple other new deductions may add into that line  ((overtime, tips and certain vehicle loan interest situations)