How to stop tax withholding from my SS survivor benefits after marriage to younger working spouse?

You can stop the withholding by completing a new Form W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request). Mark the "No, I don't want federal income taxes withheld from my social security benefits" box. You can download the form from the IRS website, fill it out, and mail it to your local Social Security office. SSA doesn't offer this function online yet. As for whether you need withholding - that really depends on your total household income now that you're married. If your combined income pushes you into a higher tax bracket, you might actually need those withholdings to avoid a surprise tax bill next April. Have you talked to a tax professional about your new filing status?

Wait i'm confused. I thought survivor benefits weren't taxable?? I've been getting my late husband's benefits for 3 years and never had anything withheld or paid taxes on them. Am I doing something wrong?????

You definitely need to consider your tax situation carefully with a working spouse. I thought I didn't need withholding either and ended up owing $3800 in taxes last April! What a shock. Now I have 25% taken out and sleep better at night.

When my wife and I were in a simlar situation, we just increased her withholding at her job instead of taking it from SS. might be another option for you. ask ur husband if he can adjust his w4 at work.

Try calling the SSA to stop the withholding. But good luck actually reaching anyone! I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through about changing my address. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Saved me so much frustration. The agent was able to process my W-4V change right over the phone - didn't even need to mail in the form.

The TAX SITUATION for SS benefits is SO CONFUSING!! My husband and I are both on Social Security but he still works part-time. Sometimes we owe taxes, sometimes we don't. THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE SENIORS!!

One important thing to consider in your situation - if you stop withholding but still end up owing taxes, you may be subject to an underpayment penalty if you don't pay enough throughout the year. Generally, you need to pay at least 90% of your current year tax or 100% of last year's tax (whichever is smaller) to avoid the penalty. This is another good reason to consult with a tax professional before making changes.

My sister had a similar situation last year and she ended up using the online tax withholding estimator tool on the IRS website to figure out exactly how much she needed withheld. Have you tried that? It asks about all your income sources and helps calculate what you should withhold.