Seven Tips to Determine if Your Social Security Benefits are Taxable

Seven Tips to Help you Determine if Your Social Security Benefits are Taxable

Recently, the IRS has made available seven tips for tax payers to determine if their Social Security benefits are tax deductable. In 2011, many recipients were unaware of this benefit and should take note of these seven tips found in the IRS tax tip 2012-26. To further help in this process, all Social Security beneficiaries should receive Form SSA-1099 from the Social Security Administration which exposes the benefit amount they would receive. Below are the seven tips provided from the IRS to supply further aid.

1. How much – if any – of your Social Security benefits are taxable depends on your total income and marital status.
2. Generally, if Social Security benefits were your only income for 2011, your benefits are not taxable and you probably do not need to file a federal income tax return.
3. If you received income from other sources, your benefits will not be taxed unless your modified adjusted gross income is more than the base amount for your filing status (see below).
4. Your taxable benefits and modified adjusted gross income are figured on a worksheet in the Form 1040A or Form 1040 Instruction booklet. Your tax software program will also figure this for you.
5. You can do the following quick computation to determine whether some of your benefits may be taxable:
   1. First, add one-half of the total Social Security benefits you received to all your other income, including any tax-exempt interest and other exclusions from income.
   2. Then, compare this total to the base amount for your filing status. If the total is more than your base amount, some of your benefits may be taxable.
6. The 2011 base amounts are:
   1. $32,000 for married couples filing jointly.
   2. $25,000 for single, head of household, qualifying widow/widower with a dependent child, or married individuals filing separately who did not live with their spouse at any time during the year.
   3. $0 for married persons filing separately who lived together during the year.
7. For additional information on the taxability of Social Security benefits, see IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits. You can get a copy of Publication 915 at www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Link: 
Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits.