Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Boldin.
As you prepare for retirement, it’s essential to understand what your taxes will be. You may think your Social Security benefits are tax-free. After all, why would the government pay you money with one hand and take it back with the other?
But the truth is, you may pay taxes on your Social Security benefits if you have other sources of income in retirement.
At a certain level of overall income — which includes your Social Security benefits, paid work, withdrawals from investments, passive income or other sources — your Social Security benefits will be taxed. And, if you work before full retirement age, your benefits are reduced.
There are three ways your Social Security could be reduced:
- Federal taxes
- State taxes
- Penalties for work income
Continue reading for more details.
Social Security and Federal Income Tax
Once you hit a certain age, the rules for Social Security taxes are similar to other federal income taxes in that the more money you make overall, the more you are taxed.
But even at the highest tax rate, at least 15% of your Social Security benefits are shielded from tax.
IRS Rule of Thumb for Social Security Taxes
The IRS has a rule of thumb for savers who want to see if their Social Security benefits are taxable: Add one-half of your Social Security benefits to all your other income, including tax-exempt interest.
- Lowest Bracket: If the number is greater than $25,000 for single filers or $32,000 for married couples, you will owe tax on your benefits.
- Middle Bracket: If you exceed the threshold for tax-exempt benefits, but your combined income for single filers is below $34,000, you pay tax on half of your benefits. Fifty percent of your benefits are taxable if you are married and filing jointly, and you make between the minimum amount but less than $44,000 in combined income.
- Highest Bracket: Single people making more than $34,000 and married couples making more than $44,000 in combined income have 85% of their benefits taxed. But remember, that doesn’t mean the government takes 85% of those benefits!
Fifteen percent of benefits for high earners is tax-free, and the part that is taxable is only taxed at your income tax bracket, for example, 24% for married couples making between $168,401 and $321,450.
State Taxes on Social Security Benefits
The rules given above for taxing Social Security benefits only apply to federal taxes.
States That Tax Social Security Benefits
Ten states will tax Social Security benefits in 2024: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont apply state taxes to Social Security benefits.
Each state has their own formula with different deductions and thresholds.
States That Do Not Tax Social Security Benefits
These states do not tax Social Security retirement income: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Washington, D.C., also does not tax Social Security benefits.
Additional Social Security Deductions if You Work and Collect Benefits Before Full Retirement Age
State and federal taxes are not all you need to worry about with Social Security. There can also be a temporary reduction in benefits if you have not achieved full retirement age and you are receiving work income above a certain level.
So while you are allowed to start benefits as soon as you turn 62, the sooner you start collecting your benefits, the less your monthly benefit will be.
Conversely, the longer you wait (up to 70 years old), the more your monthly income will be.
And the other downside to starting benefits early is that if you elect to collect benefits before your full retirement age and you are receiving work income, you will get less money than if you wait to collect, and the money you get will be subject to tax.
The full retirement age from 2022 onward is 67 for anyone born after 1960.
Temporary Reduction in Benefits if You Are Working
For work before full retirement age, Social Security will deduct money from your benefits according to the following guidelines:
- If you’re younger than full retirement age during all of 2024, they will deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $22,320.
- In the year you reach full retirement age, they deduct $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above a different limit. In 2024, this limit on your earnings is $59,520. (They only count your earnings up to the month before you reach your full retirement age, not your earnings for the entire year.)
However, you will get the lost benefits back because your Social Security payments will be increased when you reach your full retirement age. (This is to take into account those months in which benefits were withheld.)
And, after you reach full retirement age, you will no longer pay a work penalty.
The month you reach full retirement age, you receive your full benefit whether you work or not. (However, as stated above, up to 85% of your benefits may be taxed by the federal government and state governments if you earn more than the limits.)
Summary of Benefit Reductions
To put it simply, if you work before your full retirement age, your monthly benefit is cut by a dollar for every two dollars you make above the limit. But that also means that your potential tax burden is less.
If you work after full retirement age, you will receive your full benefit no matter what. But depending on how much money you make, up to 85% of your Social Security benefits will be taxable at whatever your marginal tax rate is.
How to Reduce Your Social Security (and All Retirement) Taxes
Taxes are a significant cost and can eat away at your retirement savings and income potential. Tax planning should be a critical component of creating a reliable retirement plan.
One of the easiest ways to reduce tax expenditures is to (legally) reduce your annual income levels to stay in the lowest possible tax bracket. Remember, the less you earn, the less you are likely to pay in taxes.
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