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Tax season usually brings a refund check for most workers, but if you’re retired, you could wind up owing the IRS. It depends on how much you withdrew during the year and whether your savings were pre-tax or Roth, among other things. Your retirement account withdrawals might not be your only taxable income, either.
The federal government can tax up to 85% of your Social Security benefits, and nine states tax the benefits of some residents as well. These taxes catch some seniors off guard and cost thousands of dollars per year. But there is something you can do to avoid a surprise tax bill in the future.
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How Social Security benefit taxes work
First things first: It’s important to understand how the IRS taxes Social Security benefits to know if any of your checks are at risk in the first place. It all depends on your marital status and provisional income. This is your adjusted gross income (AGI), plus nontaxable interest from municipal bonds, and half your annual Social Security benefit.
The table can help you determine what percentage of your checks could be taxable:
|
Marital Status |
0% of Benefits Taxable if Provisional Income Is Below: |
Up to 50% of Benefits Taxable if Provisional Income Is Between: |
Up to 85% of Benefits Taxable if Provisional Income Exceeds: |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Single |
$25,000 |
$25,000 and $34,000 |
$34,000 |
|
Married |
$32,000 |
$32,000 and $44,000 |
$44,000 |
Data source: Social Security Administration.
If your provisional income falls below $25,000 for a single adult or $32,000 for a married couple, you probably don’t have to worry about benefit taxes right now. But if the tax stays on the books, you could owe them in the future. The taxation thresholds listed above haven’t changed in more than 30 years. As average incomes and Social Security checks rise, more people will owe benefit taxes unless President Trump succeeds in eliminating them.
If you fall somewhere in the taxable range, you’ll likely have to give a chunk of your benefits back to the IRS. Your tax professional or tax-filing software will lump the taxable percentage of your Social Security benefit in with the remainder of your taxable income to determine how much you owe.
If you wind up with an outstanding balance, you can either pay the IRS a lump sum or agree to a payment plan that allows you to spread the costs over several months. Keep in mind that even on a payment plan, you’ll still face a 0.5% monthly failure-to-pay penalty, up to a maximum of 25% of your outstanding balance.
Chances are, if you owe Social Security benefit taxes this year, you’ll likely encounter them again in future years. It might be possible to avoid or minimize them by relying more upon Roth savings, since these withdrawals usually don’t count toward your provisional income, but this might not always be feasible.
How to plan for Social Security benefit taxes
If you’re concerned about a surprise tax bill, your best option is to have the Social Security Administration (SSA) withhold money from your checks upfront. This means the monthly amount you receive will be smaller, but then you won’t have to worry about owing as much when you file your tax return. And if the SSA withholds too much, you’ll get the excess back as a refund when you submit your return.
You can request that the SSA withhold money from your checks using Form W-4V. You’ll need to provide some identifying information, like your name, address, and Social Security number. Then you’ll get to choose how much you want taken out of your checks. Your options are 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%.
It’s up to you to decide how much is appropriate. You may want to choose a higher rate if you want the smallest risk of having an outstanding bill at tax time. Or you could opt for a lower rate so you can hold on to more of your benefits today. Then, if you do owe some money when you file your return, the balance will at least be less than it would be if the SSA didn’t withhold anything from your checks. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, consult a tax professional who can give you personalized advice.
Mail your completed Form W-4V to the SSA, and you should get a confirmation in the mail. You can change your withholding or stop withholding altogether by submitting another Form W-4V to the SSA at a later date.
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