Need help with tax withholding on Social Security survivor benefits - is there a specific form?
I recently started receiving Social Security survivor benefits from my ex-husband who passed away last year (I just turned 60 in December). The monthly payment is helping, but I'm worried about the tax situation. Someone at my grief support group mentioned there's a specific form you can fill out to have taxes automatically withheld from SS benefits, but they couldn't remember what it's called. Does anyone know if this form exists and how to get it? If not, I'm used to paying quarterly estimated taxes from when I was self-employed, so I could just continue doing that. Just trying to figure out the simplest approach so I don't get hit with a surprise tax bill next year. Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Kelsey Chin
Yes, there definitely is a form! It's called the W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request). You can download it from the IRS website or get it from your local Social Security office. You can choose to have 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% of your monthly benefit withheld for federal taxes. Once you complete it, you submit it directly to your local Social Security office, not to the IRS. Many people find this easier than dealing with quarterly payments.
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Vincent Bimbach
•Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed to know. W-4V - I'll look for that form today. Do you know if I can submit it online or do I need to physically take it to the SSA office?
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Norah Quay
i did the quarterly thing for a while after my husband died but it was a pain to remember. the withholding is WAY easier just fyi
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Vincent Bimbach
•Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm definitely leaning toward the withholding option now. The quarterly payments were always stressful to remember.
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Leo McDonald
Make sure you understand that survivor benefits at 60 are reduced to only 71.5% of what your ex-husband's full benefit would have been. If you're still working, be aware of the earnings limit too - in 2025 if you earn more than $22,560, they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. Sometimes people get surprised by this reduction. Regarding taxes, yes the W-4V form is the way to go, but remember Social Security benefits are only taxable if your combined income exceeds certain thresholds. Not everyone needs to pay taxes on their SS benefits.
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Vincent Bimbach
•Oh wow, I didn't know about that earnings limit! I am still working part-time as a consultant and might exceed that amount. Do they automatically adjust this or do I need to report my anticipated earnings to SSA? I'm getting a bit worried now.
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Leo McDonald
•You should report your expected earnings to Social Security as soon as possible. They can help you estimate any potential reduction and adjust your payments accordingly. This helps avoid an overpayment situation that you'd have to pay back later. You can report this through your my Social Security account online or by calling them directly.
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Jessica Nolan
When my mom got survivr benefits she didn't do any witholding and got hit with a HUGE tax bill the next year. don't make the same mistake!!
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Vincent Bimbach
•That's exactly what I'm afraid of! Thanks for the warning. I'm definitely going to fill out that W-4V form.
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Angelina Farar
I've been trying to get through to Social Security for THREE WEEKS to ask this exact same question about tax withholding! Every time I call it's either busy signals or I get disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Their phone system is completely broken and the office near me has a 2 month wait for appointments. Has anyone found a way to actually REACH a human being at SSA these days???
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Sebastián Stevens
•I was in the same frustrating situation last month trying to get some questions answered about my retirement benefits. After multiple failed attempts and hours wasted on hold, I tried a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me so much hassle. I was able to get all my withholding questions answered in one call instead of wasting days trying to get through.
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Angelina Farar
•Omg thank you! Never heard of this but I'm desperate at this point. Going to check out that video right now. Anything is better than the SSA phone nightmare.
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Bethany Groves
My sister has survivor benefits and she told me you can just call the SS office and tell them you want taxes withheld. You don't even need a form. At least that's what she did.
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Kelsey Chin
•While some SSA representatives might be able to process a withholding request over the phone, the official process requires the W-4V form. It's always better to submit the official paperwork to ensure your withholding request is properly documented and processed correctly. Phone requests can sometimes get lost or not properly entered into the system.
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Angelina Farar
BEWARE about those survivor benefits - they don't tell you this but if you remarry before age 60 you LOSE THEM ALL!!!! My friend lost $175,000 in benefits because she remarried at 59 and they never warned her! The whole system is rigged against us.
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Leo McDonald
•You're correct that remarriage before 60 affects survivor benefits, but there's an important clarification: the beneficiary wouldn't lose ALL potential benefits, just eligibility for survivor benefits on the ex-spouse's record. If the new marriage ends (divorce or death), eligibility for the previous survivor benefits can be reinstated. Additionally, at FRA, they could still potentially claim spousal benefits on the new spouse's record if that would be higher. The rules are complex but designed to prevent collecting multiple benefits simultaneously rather than to penalize remarriage.
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Angelina Farar
•Maybe technically but try telling that to my friend who lost everything! The SSA representative literally told her "sorry, nothing we can do" and she's struggling financially now. They should WARN people about this before it happens!
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Vincent Bimbach
Update: I found the W-4V form online and filled it out. I opted for 10% withholding to start. I was nervous about mailing such an important document, so I made an appointment at my local office (earliest was 3 weeks out) to drop it off in person. Thank you everyone for your helpful advice - especially about the earnings limit. I'm going to carefully track my consulting income this year to make sure I don't go too far over the limit.
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Norah Quay
•smart choice! its so much better than dealing with quarterly payments. one less thing to worry about!
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Kelsey Chin
•Great decision! Remember you can always adjust the withholding percentage later if 10% turns out to be too much or too little. And good thinking about tracking your earnings - that'll help you avoid any surprises at year-end.
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