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Survivors Benefits

Hello, my daughter receives survivors benefits from social security due to her father's passing. Does it have to be claimed once it reaches a certain amount each year, or not at all ever?  Also, how is it handled once she starts working at possibly age 16, what is her limit then? Also, do I continue to claim her at that point through college?

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4 Replies

Survivors Benefits

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

 

Up to 85% of Social Security Retirement/Disability/Survivors benefits 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

Survivors Benefits

Do not enter the SSA1099 for your child on your own tax return.   Someday if the child has other income  (after school job, etc.) and is filing a tax return, for that tax year he will need to include the SSA1099 on his own return.  Until then, it does not get entered anywhere.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

Survivors Benefits

You can claim her as a dependent on your tax return under the Qualifying Child rules if she meets all the requirements under the rules.

 

To be a Qualifying Child -

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.
2. The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of the year, (b) under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student or (c) any age and permanently and totally disabled.
3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. Temporary absences while away at college are considered living with you.
4. The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.
6. The child must be a U.S. citizen or U.S., Canada or Mexico resident for some portion of the year.
7. The child must be younger than you unless disabled.

 

If the child does file a tax return for any reason and they are on your tax return as a dependent, make sure that the child enters on their return that they can be claimed as a dependent.

DaveF1006
Employee Tax Expert

Survivors Benefits

No. Social Security Income is not reported unless it is combined with other income.  Even then, your child does not need to file a return if:

 

  • The child’s only income is from interest and dividends, including capital gains distributions and Alaska Permanent Fund dividends and if that amount is less than $1300
  • The child’s gross income for 2024 is less than $13,000. This limit increases to less than $13,500 for 2025.
  • The child is required to file a return for the year.
  • The child does not file a joint return for the year.
  • There were no estimated tax payments for the child for the year (including any overpayment of tax from the child’s prior year return applied to the current year estimated tax).
  • There was no federal income tax withheld from the child’s income.

 If your child has tax withholding taken from her pay, she may file a return to receive a refund for those withholdings even if she is not required to file a return.

 

As far as if you are able to claim her as a dependent, that is covered very nicely by DoninGA as he/she lists the qualifying child's requirement.

 

Minor Filing Requirements

 

Additional Dependent filing Information 

 

@Christine51 

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