How to report Social Security survivor benefit check on taxes - me or mom's estate?

sorry for your loss. this happened when my dad passed two years back. pretty sure the check is YOUR income since it was made out to you, doesnt matter that her name is also on it. thats how SSA handles final payments to survivors

sry bout ur mom. did u check the SSA.gov website? they have a whole section on survivor benefits and taxation. i think its still considered HER income even tho the check came later. something about "income in respect of decedent" if it was her Jan payment

To clarify this situation: When a Social Security beneficiary dies, any payment received for the month of death or later must be returned to SSA. However, if you were entitled to survivor benefits, SSA would have reissued that payment to you as the eligible survivor (which appears to be what happened based on the check being made out to both names with "deceased" next to hers). In this case, since you are the actual recipient of the benefit as a survivor, you would report this on YOUR tax return, not your mother's final return or the estate tax return. The fact that both names are on the check with "deceased" indicates this was processed as a survivor benefit payment to you. You should receive a SSA-1099 for this payment in your name. If you didn't, you may need to contact SSA to request one.

When my husband died I got his last SS check too but I had to RETURN IT!! They told me it was an overpayment because he wasn't alive the whole month. Did they tell you to keep the check? Maybe you weren't supposed to cash it at all??? Now I'm worried for you

I spent THREE HOURS trying to call Social Security to ask literally this EXACT question when my sister passed! Kept getting disconnected or put on endless hold. FINALLY I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed what others are saying - the check is YOUR income since it was reissued to you as a survivor. You report it on YOUR taxes, not the estate's. You might want to call to confirm your specific situation though.

wait i just remembered something important - did you know that only up to 85% of SS benefits are taxable? so even tho you report it on your return, you might not pay tax on the full amount depending on your total income. theres a worksheet in the 1040 instructions

im so sorry about your mom passing away. taxes are the LAST thing you want to deal with during grief. sending virtual hugs your way!

i think we're all missing something important - was this her regular monthly benefit or a one-time death benefit? cuz SS has that $255 death benefit they pay to surviving spouses or dependents and the tax rules might be different for that vs regular benefits

I went through something very similar when my grandmother passed away last year. The key thing that helped me was understanding that Social Security uses a specific process for these situations. When they reissue a payment with both names and mark one as "deceased," they're essentially converting what would have been the deceased person's payment into a survivor benefit for you. From a tax perspective, this is treated as YOUR income because you're the living recipient who actually has the legal right to the funds. The IRS doesn't care that your mom's name is also on the check - what matters is who legally received and deposited the money. One tip that might help: when you file your taxes, you might want to attach a brief explanation letter to your return explaining the circumstances (mother's death, survivor benefit payment) just in case the IRS has questions later. It's not required, but it can help avoid confusion if they notice the SSA-1099 has both names on it. Also, make sure you keep good records of all this - the original check, the SSA-1099, any correspondence with Social Security. You'll want documentation if any questions come up later. Hope this helps, and I'm sorry for your loss. Dealing with all these administrative details while grieving is really tough.

I'm a tax preparer and see this situation fairly often. Just to add one more perspective - if you're using tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they'll walk you through the Social Security benefits section and ask whose SSA-1099 it is. Since you received the form in your name (even with both names listed), you'll enter it as YOUR Social Security income. The software will automatically calculate the taxable portion based on your total income. One thing I always tell clients in your situation: if you're unsure about any aspect of this, consider having a tax professional review your return before filing. The cost is usually worth the peace of mind, especially when dealing with estate-related tax issues. Many preparers offer consultation services even if you're doing the return yourself. Also, don't forget that you may be eligible for other survivor benefits going forward if you haven't already applied. The monthly payment you received might just be the beginning of ongoing benefits you're entitled to. Sorry for your loss, and I hope this tax season goes smoothly for you.

I'm sorry for your loss, Keisha. This is such a stressful situation to navigate while you're grieving. I went through something similar when my father passed away two years ago, and the confusion around these payments is completely understandable. From what I learned during my experience (and confirmed with a tax professional), since the Social Security Administration reissued that payment specifically to you as the survivor with both names on the check and "deceased" noted, it's considered YOUR income for tax purposes. The key indicator here is that you received the SSA-1099 form - whoever gets that form is responsible for reporting it on their tax return. I'd recommend double-checking the name that appears first on your SSA-1099 form. If your name is the primary recipient listed, then you definitely report it on your personal return. The IRS treats this as survivor income, not estate income or income belonging to the deceased. One thing that helped me was keeping a copy of the original check along with the SSA-1099 for my records, just in case there were ever any questions later. The documentation clearly shows this was a legitimate survivor payment, not an overpayment that should have been returned. Take care of yourself during this difficult time, and don't hesitate to reach out to a tax professional if you need additional peace of mind before filing.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Keisha. Losing a parent is incredibly difficult, and having to navigate these complex tax issues on top of grief makes it even harder. I wanted to add something that might be helpful - if you're dealing with multiple tax returns (your personal return, your mom's final return, and the estate return), you might want to consider using the same tax professional or software for all three. This can help ensure consistency and catch any potential issues where the returns might interact with each other. Also, since you mentioned this was a January 2025 payment for someone who passed in December 2023, there might have been a significant delay in processing. If you haven't already, you might want to confirm with Social Security whether there are any other payments or adjustments coming. Sometimes there can be retroactive calculations or corrections that affect multiple months. The good news is that based on everyone's advice here, it sounds like you have a clear path forward for reporting this payment. Just remember to keep all your documentation organized - the check, the SSA-1099, any letters from SSA, etc. These will be invaluable if you ever need to explain the situation to the IRS or if questions come up during processing. Hang in there, and don't hesitate to get professional help if you need it. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing right now.