Missing 1099 for survivor benefits while my own SS retirement 1099 showed up - tax filing confusion

You're absolutely right to expect two 1099s in this situation. When you receive both your own retirement benefits and survivor benefits on a different record (even for part of the year), SSA typically issues separate 1099-SSA forms for each benefit type. The one showing in your online account is probably just for your retirement benefits. The survivor benefits 1099 might be sent by mail only and not show up in your online account. This is actually pretty common - some people don't realize their online account doesn't always show all 1099s, especially for survivor benefits processed under different SSNs.

the EXACT same thing happend to me last year!!! I collected on my own for 7 months and then 5 months on my husbands who passed. they never put the 1099 for his benefits online only mailed it. called and waited FOREVER and the rep said the survivor benefits 1099 often doesn't get posted to the online account. I got it in mail about a week after i called. so annoying there system is broken like this!!

i think i had this problem before. did you check if the one 1099 you see actually includes ALL the money? sometimes they combine them into one form even tho they came from different sources. look at box 3 on the 1099 and see if it matches what you think you got total for the year.

I work with retirees, and this happens frequently when someone receives benefits on multiple records within a tax year. The MySSA online account typically only shows the 1099 for benefits paid on your own record. The 1099 for survivor benefits paid on your husband's record should arrive by mail, usually by the end of January or early February. If you haven't received it by mid-February, you can request a replacement by calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213. Keep in mind that both 1099s will need to be reported on your tax return. The IRS receives copies of all 1099s issued to you, so they'll expect both amounts to be reported. I recommend waiting until you have both forms before filing your taxes to avoid having to file an amendment later.

I had a similar issue trying to get through to SSA about my missing 1099. After days of getting busy signals and dropped calls, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an agent. Worked like magic - got through to someone at SSA in about 20 minutes instead of hours of redial hell. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed what others here are saying - survivor benefit 1099s often don't show up online and come by mail instead. They were able to tell me exactly when mine was mailed and what the amount was, which put my mind at ease for filing my taxes.

This whole thing is ridiculous! I'm in the same boat and STILL haven't gotten my survivor 1099. Called twice and got disconnected both times after waiting over an hour. The SSA is completely broken. Their online system should show ALL our forms, not just some of them. We're supposed to file taxes accurately but they can't even provide the documents properly!

Just to add a clarification - if you filed for survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits in the same year, the reason you get separate 1099s is because survivor benefits are issued under your deceased spouse's Social Security number (even though they're paid to you), while retirement benefits are issued under your own SSN. The SSA system treats these as completely separate benefit streams for reporting purposes. If your tax filing deadline is approaching and you still don't have the form, you can visit a local SSA office in person and request a printout of your 1099 for survivor benefits. They can usually print this immediately, and it's acceptable for tax filing purposes.

Sometimes SSA actually DOES combine both benefits onto one 1099. But this only happens if you switched from one benefit type to another during the year AND if both benefits were processed through the same payment center. If different payment centers handled your benefits, you'll definitely get two forms. Either way, by February 15th you should have received everything by mail.

Update: I finally got through to SSA this morning! The representative confirmed my survivor benefits 1099 was mailed last week and should arrive any day now. She also said I could come to the local office for a printout if it doesn't arrive soon. Thanks everyone for your help and confirming I wasn't crazy for expecting two forms! I'll wait a few more days before I panic about tax filing.

glad u got an answer! ssa is always so confusing with this stuff. make sure u keep both 1099s together for ur tax person.

Next year remember to print or save a copy of that survivor 1099 as soon as you get it!!! I learned my lesson and now I scan EVERYTHING from SSA the minute it arrives because trying to get replacements is a nightmare!!!