Does Social Security mail SSA-1099 forms for tax filing or do we have to request them?
Hi everyone, 2024 was the first year my husband and I started receiving Social Security retirement benefits (we both turned 67 last year). We're getting ready to prepare our taxes and I'm wondering if we should expect to receive SSA-1099 forms in the mail showing our benefit amounts? Or do we need to request these forms from somewhere? We've never had to include Social Security in our tax returns before, so I'm not sure how this works. Do they automatically mail these statements or do we need to log into the MySocialSecurity account to print them? Thanks for any guidance!
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Carmen Sanchez
Yes, the SSA will automatically mail you SSA-1099 forms for both you and your husband by the end of January. They're required by law to send these by January 31st. The form shows your total benefits received during 2024 and any withheld taxes. You don't need to request them unless they don't arrive by early February. You can also download them from your MySocialSecurity account if you prefer not to wait for mail.
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Yuki Watanabe
•Thank you! That's a relief. I'll watch the mail then. Do you know if they're sent separately or together since we're married?
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Andre Dupont
they send them every year dont worry. but theyre always late lol. i got mine like feb 10 last year but my neighbor got hers in jan. make sure ur address is updated in system!!!
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Yuki Watanabe
•Oh that's good to know they might arrive at different times! Our address is correct on all our statements so hopefully that's not an issue.
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Zoe Papadakis
Just FYI - if you set up online accounts with mysocialsecurity.gov you can just download your 1099s right away instead of waiting for mail. I stopped getting paper ones years ago and just get everything online now. MUCH faster and you don't have to worry about mail getting lost!
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ThunderBolt7
•This!!! The online account is the way to go. I couldn't find my SSA-1099 last year and panicked until my daughter showed me how to get it online. Took like 2 minutes.
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Jamal Edwards
I've been collecting since 2019 and let me tell YOU something - they CLAIM they mail them but I've had to call EVERY SINGLE YEAR because mine never shows up!!! The SSA is completely incompetent and can't even handle basic mail! And good luck getting through to them on the phone - you'll spend HOURS just to get disconnected!!!
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Mei Chen
•I had the same frustrating experience trying to get through to SSA about a missing 1099! After wasting two days with busy signals and disconnections, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected with an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much stress, especially since tax deadlines were approaching. Might be worth checking out if you run into this issue again.
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Liam O'Sullivan
Just to add some important information - if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits) exceeds $32,000 as a married couple filing jointly, up to 50% of your benefits may be taxable. If it exceeds $44,000, up to 85% might be taxable. Make sure you're prepared for potential tax implications if 2024 was your first year receiving benefits. The SSA-1099 (Social Security Benefit Statement) will show in Box 5 the net benefits you received, which is what you'll need for your tax return.
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Yuki Watanabe
•Oh, I had no idea about those thresholds! We definitely will exceed $44,000 with our pension and some investment income. I guess we should be prepared to pay taxes on 85% of our SS benefits then. Thank you for explaining this.
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ThunderBolt7
my brother never got his in mail last yr and had to go to social security office in person!!! waste of entire day just to get a form! try online first
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Carmen Sanchez
To answer your question about whether they're sent separately or together - each beneficiary receives their own SSA-1099, even if you're married. So you and your husband will each receive a separate form with your own Social Security number on it. They typically mail them around the same time, but they might arrive on different days.
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Yuki Watanabe
•Thanks for clarifying! I'll make sure we look for two separate forms then. I think we'll also try setting up the online accounts as others suggested just to have a backup.
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Andre Dupont
one more thing - check if u already had taxes taken out of ur monthly payments. u can choose that option when u first sign up and it makes tax time easier. box 3 on the 1099 will show if u did
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