withdrawing funds from our retirement to purchase vehicles or rv

[Steve54Deb56]

We are both retired, and are able to live off our ss benefits, totaling $65,000/yr.  Are we able to withdraw funds from our retirement up to a certain amount that would not hurt us on our taxes?  We would be needing to purchase a vehicle and maybe upgrade our RV, but don't want to have it affect our income so much that we end getting put in a tax bracket that would hurt us. 

What would be the most we would be able to withdraw without putting us in the next tax bracket?

Thank you!

Steve and Debbie McGee

[xmasbaby0]

Money you take from your retirement fund is taxable income.  You have to enter a 1099R for the money you take out of your retirement fund(s).    And...depending on how much you take out, your Social Security may become taxable.

 Go to Federal> Wages & Income>>Retirement Plans and Social Security  (SSA1099 and 1099RRB) to enter your SSA1099.

To enter your retirement income, Go to  Federal> Wages and Income>Retirement Plans and Social Security>IRA  401 k) Pension Plan Withdrawals to enter your 1099R.

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 2019 it was $17,640— for 2020 it was $18,240; for 2021 it was  $18,960.  For 2022 it was  $19,560  —  for 2023 $21,240)  For 2024, $22,320.

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.  If you work as an independent contractor then you will pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.

To see how much of your Social Security was taxable, look at lines 6a and 6b of your 2023 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.