Why does TurboTax say I overpaid Social Security tax?

[cmaling]

Hello.  My former employer deducted the correct Social Security tax but I don't understand why Turbo Tax states that I overpaid.  Thank you in advance for your assistance. 

[VolvoGirl]

You get excess SS back if you had more than 1 employer and those employers took out more than the max for Social Security tax in W2 box 4.  For 2024 the max for Social Security is $10,453.20 on $168,600 of wages (168,600  x 6.2%).  And it is for each spouse separately if married.  Check 1040 Schedule 3 line 11 which goes to 1040 line 31.

Did you only have 1 employer?  

Check W2 boxes 3 & 4.  How much is in each box?  Box 4 should be Box 3 x .062 up to a max of $10,453.20.  If box 4 is more than that you need to get a corrected W2 from your employer.  Try leaving the cents off box 4.  But also go back and double check your W2 entries, you may have entered box 3 & 4 wrong.  A lot of people who have asked this found they did enter an amount wrong.

Or check W2 box 12.  You may have entered Code A by mistake.

A sure way to fix this is to delete the W2 and re-enter it.  That may clear something out.

[check-debit-date]

It is possible your employer miscalculated of course, but a 2nd possibility is that a 2nd source (2nd employer or self-employed) paid SS tax and together the amount exceeded the maximum SS tax for an individual

[MayaD]

Are you filing a joint return? 

This can happen if the owner of the W-2 forms on a joint return is entered incorrectly. 

To review your W-2:

1. Select Federal, 
2. Select Wages & Income.
3. Select Edit/ Add next to  Job (W-2),
4. Select Edit below the W-2 information