Deceased parent's SS tax document (1099) missing for 2024 filing - how to contact Social Security?
My father passed away in November at 87 years old. Since he was pretty old-school, he never set up an online Social Security account. I'm working on getting his 2024 taxes prepared, but haven't received his Social Security 1099 form yet. I know these are supposed to be mailed by January 31st, but our mail has been unreliable lately. Should I wait another week before trying to contact Social Security about getting a replacement? I'm not even sure how to go about contacting them for this specific issue. Is there a dedicated number for tax document requests? I've heard their general line has crazy wait times. I've never handled a deceased parent's final tax filing before, so any advice on dealing with Social Security for this would be really appreciated!
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Mikayla Davison
Sorry about your dad. I went through this last year. The 1099-SSA sometimes comes really late like first week of february even though theyre supposed to send by jan 31. But if you already have a copy of his last bank statement you can just see exactly what his SS deposit was and multiply by 12 for the yearly amount. Thats what my tax guy told me to do.
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Max Reyes
•Thanks for the condolences and advice. That's a smart workaround with the bank statements - I should be able to access those. His benefit amount varied slightly month to month though (not sure why), so I'd still prefer getting the official document if possible.
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Adrian Connor
I'm sorry for your loss. You actually have several options for obtaining your father's SSA-1099: 1. Wait until mid-February before assuming it's lost. The SSA technically has until Jan 31 to mail them, and delivery can take 7-10 business days. 2. If you're the executor or legal representative, you can call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to request a replacement. You'll need to verify your identity and provide your father's Social Security number, death certificate information, and proof of your legal right to request this information. 3. Visit a local Social Security office with the same documentation - this often yields faster results than calling. 4. If your father had his benefits direct deposited, the deposit amount shown on his bank statements won't necessarily match the taxable amount on the 1099. Some deductions or Medicare premiums can make these differ. As for filing his final return, note that you'll report benefits received during the months he was alive in 2024. The SSA-1099 will show the total for the year, but you'll only include amounts received before his death.
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Aisha Jackson
•This is why i HATE the social security system!!! So complicated and they make EVERYTHING difficult especially for people grieving! I tried calling that 800 number last month and waited TWO HOURS just to ask a simple question about MY OWN benefits! And then they transferred me and I got disconnected!!!! The whole system is designed to make people give up!!!!
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Max Reyes
•Thank you so much for this detailed information! I am the executor, so I should be able to request a replacement. I'll wait until mid-February as you suggested before trying to contact them. I appreciate the tip about the taxable amount possibly being different from the bank statements too - I hadn't considered that.
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Ryder Everingham
Just want to add that if you end up needing to contact SSA for the replacement 1099, try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM (your local time) or in the last hour before they close at 5:30 PM. The wait times are usually much shorter during those periods. Also, if you're acting as the representative for your father's estate, make sure you have Form SSA-1699 (Representative Payee Accounting Form) completed when you contact them. This helps establish your authority to request the tax documents. For the final tax return, remember that Social Security benefits are reported differently than other income. Only a portion may be taxable depending on your father's other income sources during his lifetime in 2024.
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Max Reyes
•Thank you for these tips! I hadn't heard about Form SSA-1699, so I'll look into that. Early morning calling is a good idea too. Do you happen to know if there's a specific extension or option to choose when calling their main number for tax document requests?
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Ryder Everingham
•When you call, listen carefully to the automated menu - there should be an option specifically for "tax forms or tax information." Usually it's something like option 3, but they change their menu periodically. If you can't find a specific tax document option, just select the one for "all other benefit questions." Just to clarify - the form I mentioned (SSA-1699) is only needed if you were previously designated as his representative payee while he was alive. If you're just acting as the executor of his estate, you'll need the death certificate and letters testamentary or other court documents showing you're authorized to handle his affairs. Sorry for any confusion!
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Lilly Curtis
my mom died last year too and i had same problem!! waited forever for her ss-1099 then gave up and did taxes without it. big mistake!! got a letter from irs 6 months later saying we underpaid taxes bc didn't report all her income!! had to file amended return and pay penalty and interest!! dont do what i did lol. definitely wait for that form or get an official replacement!!
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Leo Simmons
•OMG that sounds awful! Sorry you had to deal with that on top of losing your mom. The IRS can be so heartless sometimes. Did they at least reduce the penalty when you explained the situation?
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Max Reyes
•Thanks for sharing your experience, though I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'll definitely make sure I have the official 1099 before filing. Did you eventually get the form, or did you have to get the information some other way?
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Mikayla Davison
hey just checking in - did you end up getting your dads 1099 yet? mine just came yesterday for my mom so maybe yours is on the way
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Max Reyes
•Just got it in the mail today, actually! Thanks for checking. Now to figure out the rest of his final tax filing...
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Adrian Connor
•Glad to hear it arrived! One more tip for your father's final return: if your father had any uncashed Social Security checks at the time of his death, those are considered income for the estate, not income for his final personal tax return. This is different from direct deposits received while he was alive, which do go on his final personal return. Just wanted to mention this since it's a common area of confusion.
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