One thing to keep in mind - if you're planning to stop working next year and your income will drop significantly, you might want to consider making quarterly estimated tax payments instead of adjusting withholding. That way you have more control over the timing and amounts. For Q4 2024, the estimated payment is due January 15th, so you could make a payment then to cover any shortfall from this year without having to mess with withholding at all. Just another option to consider alongside the work withholding adjustment!

For quarterly estimated tax payments, there's no minimum amount - you can pay whatever you calculate you'll owe. The key is making sure your total payments (withholding + estimated payments) equal at least 90% of this year's tax liability or 100% of last year's (110% if your prior year AGI was over $150k). Since you're planning to stop working early next year, quarterly payments might actually give you the most flexibility. You could make a Q4 payment in January to cover any 2024 shortfall, then reassess your 2025 situation once you're no longer working. The IRS Form 1040ES has worksheets to help calculate the right amount.

Hello, sorry to hijack your feed, a lot of good questions and answers on the thread, thought I would try my question here. My ex filed for Social Security for herself and my minor son at the time, she didn't tell neither of us, we found out 2 years later. When she was collecting benefits for my son, she lived in a different state, and I have full custody of him during that time and currently. I read on the SSA webs-site that the I would have been the representative payee considering I am his biologic father and he lived with me full time. I would be the one who provides the well-being to the beneficiaries. I don't know what she told SSA about me and/or if my son lived with her in another state. Do I have any recourse? Even my son who is now an adult doesn't think that this was right. She gets the money for his well-being, doesn't pay anything for his well-being and I am the one who supported hm in every way including financially. FYI- I had no idea about the mothers/father/parent benefits otherwise, I would have applied if I knew.

This sounds like a very frustrating situation, and I'm sorry you're dealing with this. You may have several options here: 1. **Representative Payee Issues**: If your son was living with you full-time and you had legal custody, you should have been designated as his representative payee. The SSA requires that benefits be used for the child's current needs, and the person receiving the payments should be the one actually caring for the child. 2. **Potential Overpayment/Fraud**: If your ex-wife misrepresented your son's living situation to receive benefits, this could constitute fraud. The SSA takes this seriously, especially if she claimed he lived with her when he actually lived with you. 3. **What You Can Do**: Contact the SSA immediately to report this situation. Bring documentation of your custody arrangement and proof that your son lived with you during the benefit period. The SSA can investigate and potentially recover improperly paid benefits. 4. **Your Own Benefits**: Since you were the custodial parent, you likely missed out on father's benefits you were entitled to receive. While there are time limits on retroactive claims, given the fraudulent circumstances, you should definitely ask about this. Document everything and consider consulting with a Social Security attorney who can help navigate this complex situation. The SSA has procedures for handling cases like this, but you'll need to be persistent in pursuing it.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my thanks to everyone who has contributed to this incredibly informative discussion! I'm 62 and have been agonizing over this exact question for months. My husband is 68 and already collecting his full Social Security benefits while still working part-time as a contractor, earning about $30,000 annually. I was convinced that his continued earnings would somehow impact my benefits when I decide to file. Reading through all these detailed explanations has been such a huge relief! It's now crystal clear that the earnings test applies only to the individual earning the income, not their spouse. I can't believe I spent so much time worrying about this when the answer is actually straightforward once it's properly explained. What really impressed me is how patient and thorough everyone has been in addressing not just the original question, but all the follow-up concerns and misconceptions that came up in the thread. The clarification about business structure not mattering (sole proprietorship vs LLC) and the distinction between the earnings test and benefit taxation were particularly helpful. I'm definitely going to explore that my.ssa.gov account suggestion and maybe even look into that Claimyr service if I need to speak with SSA directly. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment for people trying to navigate these complex Social Security rules!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and reassuring discussion! I'm 63 and my husband is 69, already collecting his full Social Security benefits while continuing to earn income from his small accounting practice. Like so many others here, I was genuinely worried that his business earnings might somehow reduce my benefits when I file next year. This thread has been absolutely eye-opening! The consistent message from everyone that the earnings test applies individually to each spouse has completely put my fears to rest. I had no idea that married couples are treated as completely separate individuals for Social Security earnings purposes - I just assumed there would be some kind of household income consideration. I'm particularly grateful for the detailed explanation about how temporarily withheld benefits get recalculated at FRA rather than being permanently lost. That's such an important distinction that I hadn't understood before. The recommendation to set up a my.ssa.gov account to review projected benefits is also incredibly practical advice that I'm going to act on immediately. What strikes me most is how patient and knowledgeable this community is. Every question and concern that came up was addressed with real-world experience and clear explanations. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment for those of us trying to navigate these complex Social Security decisions!

As another newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for this incredibly detailed thread! I'm currently 64 and was actually considering starting my Social Security application soon, but after reading about Giovanni's experience with the calculator disappearing, I think I'll hold off and use the direct calculator links first to do more thorough planning. The tip about the Retirement Estimator at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html is exactly what I needed - I want to see those month-by-month benefit increases clearly before making any decisions. It's also reassuring to know that if I do start an application and need to pause it, the application stays in the system in suspended status rather than disappearing completely. The collective wisdom in this thread about bookmarking direct links, browser cache clearing, and even backup options like the paper form SSA-7004 is invaluable. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this community is proving to be an amazing resource for navigating these complex decisions!

As someone new to this community and Social Security planning, I'm amazed by how much valuable information has been shared in this thread! I'm about 2 years from my FRA and had no idea that starting an application could cause the calculators to disappear - what a frustrating design flaw by SSA. The direct link to the Retirement Estimator at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html is exactly what I needed to bookmark. I'm also going to try that text file system for keeping track of all the useful SSA links that Aisha mentioned. It's reassuring to know there are so many knowledgeable people here willing to share practical workarounds for these website navigation issues. Giovanni, thanks for asking the original question that sparked such a comprehensive discussion. This thread has definitely convinced me to start exploring these calculator tools now rather than waiting until I'm closer to filing. The real-world tips and experiences everyone has shared are incredibly helpful for understanding how to actually navigate SSA's complex systems successfully.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! I'm 64 and approaching my FRA next year, and I've been so confused about the earnings rules - especially with all the talk about "changes" I keep hearing from friends and neighbors. This thread has been absolutely invaluable in clearing up the confusion between the earnings test (which stops at FRA) and taxation of benefits (which continues based on income levels). What really helped me was understanding that the "2025 changes" people are talking about are just the routine annual adjustments to earnings thresholds for people UNDER FRA - not new rules affecting those who've already reached their FRA. The personal experiences shared here, especially from people like Mia who actually went through the transition to working after FRA, give me so much more confidence than trying to decipher government websites alone. I'm already planning some part-time consulting work for after I reach my FRA, and now I know I can move forward without worrying about benefit reductions. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my sincere appreciation for this incredibly thorough and enlightening discussion! I'm 66 and just reached my FRA a few months ago, and I've been hesitant about accepting a part-time position because I was terrified it might affect my Social Security benefits. Reading through everyone's detailed explanations has completely put my mind at ease - it's now abundantly clear that there's absolutely no earnings limit once you reach your Full Retirement Age, period! What I found most valuable was how multiple community members carefully distinguished between the earnings test (which ceases at FRA) and the taxation of Social Security benefits (which is a completely separate consideration based on total income). I had been mixing these up terribly! The clarification about the source of "2025 changes" confusion - that these are just the routine annual threshold adjustments for people under FRA, not new policies affecting those at or beyond FRA - was particularly helpful. I also really appreciate the practical tips shared about record-keeping for taxes and the heads-up about potential Medicare IRMAA implications down the road. The personal stories from folks like Mia who have actually lived through working after FRA are so much more reassuring than trying to parse government websites alone. This discussion has given me the confidence to accept that part-time position I've been considering. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and knowledgeable community - I'm grateful to have found this resource!