Does Social Security send a tax form like W-2 for filing taxes or can I get it online?
I'm filing my taxes for the first time since starting to receive Social Security benefits last year. I'm confused about how to report this income on my tax return. Does the SSA send out something like a W2 form that shows my benefits for tax purposes? If they do mail something, when should I expect it? Or is there a way to get whatever document I need online? I checked my mySocialSecurity account but couldn't figure out where to find tax documents. Any help would be appreciated!
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Leeann Blackstein
Social Security sends a Form SSA-1099 (Social Security Benefit Statement) every January to people who received benefits during the previous year. You should've received it by early February. It shows the total amount of benefits you received, which is what you'll use for your tax return. If you haven't received it, you can download a replacement from your mySocialSecurity account. Just log in, go to the 'Replacement Documents' section, and you'll find an option to print your 1099.
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Liv Park
•Thank you! I'll check my mySocialSecurity account again. I probably missed that section when I was looking. Do you know if I need to report 100% of what's on the 1099 or is some of it not taxable?
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Ryder Greene
got mine in the mail mid january. SS always send them out. called the 1099 form i think
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Liv Park
•Thanks! I wonder if mine got lost in the mail or something. I'll keep an eye out for it.
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Carmella Fromis
The SSA-1099 should have been mailed to you by January 31st. If you can't find it, definitely download it from your mySocialSecurity account. Go to the main dashboard, look for "Replacement Documents" in the menu, and select "Replace Tax Form SSA-1099/1042S". As for how much is taxable, that depends on your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits). For most people, only 0-85% of benefits are taxable, but you'll need to work through the IRS worksheet to determine this for your situation.
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Liv Park
•I didn't realize I might not need to report the full amount! That's good to know. I'll look for that IRS worksheet. Is it in the 1040 instructions?
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Carmella Fromis
•Yes, it's in the 1040 instructions. Look for the worksheet titled "Social Security Benefits Worksheet" - it will help you calculate exactly how much of your benefits are taxable based on your overall income. The worksheet is usually in the section about income. If you use tax software, it should walk you through this calculation automatically when you enter your SSA-1099 information.
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Theodore Nelson
omg i HATE tax season. i never got my form either and now im panicking because i filed without it. do i need to redo my taxes???
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Leeann Blackstein
•If you received Social Security benefits last year and didn't include them on your tax return, you probably should file an amended return (Form 1040-X). The IRS will likely catch the discrepancy otherwise since they get a copy of your 1099. You can download your SSA-1099 from your mySocialSecurity account to see the amount you need to report.
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AaliyahAli
I had the same issue last year! After waiting for weeks for my 1099 to arrive in the mail, I finally gave up and tried to call SSA. Spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to someone, constantly getting disconnected or put on hold for hours. Finally I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. The agent told me I could download my 1099 from my mySocialSecurity account, which saved me so much hassle. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Definitely worth it when you're in a time crunch with tax deadlines!
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Liv Park
•Thanks for the suggestion! I managed to find the form online after the other commenters pointed me in the right direction. But I'll keep Claimyr in mind if I need to actually speak with someone at SSA in the future. Their phone lines are definitely frustrating!
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Ellie Simpson
The SSA-1099 isnt the same as a W-2! Its important to know that they are reported differently on your taxes. Box 5 on the SSA-1099 shows your total benefits which is what you need for your tax return. And dont forget that depending on your overall income, your SS benefits might be partially taxable or even completely tax-free!!!!!
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Carmella Fromis
•That's correct. To clarify further: if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits) is between $25,000 and $34,000 for single filers or between $32,000 and $44,000 for joint filers, up to 50% of your benefits may be taxable. Above those upper thresholds, up to 85% of benefits may be taxable. Below the lower thresholds, your benefits are typically tax-free.
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Arjun Kurti
I ran into this same issue when I first started receiving benefits. The SSA-1099 should arrive in January, but sometimes they get lost in the mail. The easiest solution is definitely downloading it from your mySocialSecurity account. When you login, look for the "Replacement Documents" section on the main page. From there you can select to replace the SSA-1099 and print it immediately. One important note - if you've moved since you started receiving benefits and didn't update your address with SSA, that could explain why you didn't receive it.
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Liv Park
•Thank you! I just logged in and found it exactly where you described. And I did move last year, but I thought I updated my address with everyone. I'll double check that my address is correct in the SSA system for next year.
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Ryder Greene
my tax guy says we only pay taxes on 85% of SS no matter what. is that right?
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Carmella Fromis
•That's not quite right. The maximum amount that can be taxable is 85% of your benefits, but many people pay taxes on less than that or even none at all. It depends on your "combined income" (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits). The actual percentage is calculated using the Social Security Benefits Worksheet in the 1040 instructions, or automatically by tax software.
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Ryder Greene
•oh wow ive been paying too much tax then! my income isnt that high since i retired. gonna talk to my tax guy again
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Liv Park
Update: I found the SSA-1099 in my mySocialSecurity account! For anyone else looking, after you log in, click on "Replacement Documents" on the main page, then select "Replace Tax Form SSA-1099/1042S". Thanks everyone for your help! Now I just need to figure out how much of it is actually taxable.
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Leeann Blackstein
•Great! Glad you found it. To figure out how much is taxable, the easiest approach is to use tax software or have a tax preparer handle it. If you're doing it yourself with paper forms, you'll need to use the worksheet in the 1040 instructions. The taxable amount depends on your overall income and filing status.
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