Can I get refunded for Social Security benefits withheld when I earned less than my estimate?

Yes, the SSA should automatically adjust this for you! This is part of the Annual Earnings Test reconciliation. After you file your tax return, the SSA compares your actual earnings with what was estimated and adjusts accordingly. If they withheld too much (which sounds like your case), they'll send you the difference. This typically happens mid-year after the IRS shares the tax data with Social Security. You should receive the payment without having to do anything extra.

same thing happened to me! waited for like 6 months and nothing came so i had to call them..... good luck with that lol

The SSA should be making this adjustment automatically after they receive your earnings information from the IRS, but sometimes there are delays or issues with the process. What you're dealing with is the Annual Earnings Test reconciliation. When you're under Full Retirement Age and working, they withhold $1 for every $2 you earn above the annual limit (which was $19,560 for 2022). Since you earned less than your estimate, you're entitled to get some of those withheld benefits back. I'd recommend checking your my Social Security account online first to see if there's any message about an upcoming adjustment. If nothing shows up by July or August, then it might be worth contacting them directly.

My brother went through this exact same thing! They NEVER automatically adjusted it for him even though people keep saying they will. He had to go IN PERSON to the SS office to get it fixed. Took him three separate trips!!! The government just hopes you'll forget about it honestly

When this happened to me last year, I tried calling for WEEKS and could never get through. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed I was owed a refund for the excess withholding and processed it while I was on the phone. Got the deposit about 2 weeks later. Saved me having to take time off work to visit the office in person.

Just to clarify some confusion in this thread - there are two separate processes at work here: 1. The automatic adjustment - this SHOULD happen without you doing anything after your tax return is processed. The IRS sends earnings data to SSA, and they're supposed to reconcile the withholding. 2. The manual request - if the automatic process fails (which unfortunately happens more often than it should), you can request a manual earnings test recalculation. For the manual process, you'll need to provide proof of your actual earnings (W-2s, tax return, etc.). You can submit this request by phone, but as others have mentioned, getting through can be challenging. If you don't see the adjustment by August, I'd recommend trying to contact them. The adjustment would come as a separate payment, not added to your regular benefit.

THE SSA NEVER GIVES YOU BACK YOUR MONEY WITHOUT A FIGHT!!!! I had the EXACT same situation and they claimed they never got my income information from the IRS even though I filed my taxes on time!!!! Had to go to my local office THREE TIMES to get it straightened out and they acted like they were doing me a favor giving me MY OWN MONEY back!!!! The whole system is designed to STEAL from seniors!!!!!