Social Security earnings limit question - FRA in July 2025 but still restricted to $22K?

The earnings limit works differently in the year you reach your Full Retirement Age. You're not limited to $22,000 for the entire year. In 2025, the limit that applies to you is $59,520, but here's the important part - this only counts earnings BEFORE the month you reach FRA. Once you hit your FRA month (July for you), there's NO earnings limit at all. So you can earn up to $59,520 from January through June without any reduction. Then from July onward, earn as much as you want. The $22,000 annual limit only applies to people who won't reach their FRA at all during 2025.

My brother had this same issue last year!!! The SSA ended up takng money from him even though he was at FRA in October. He didn't know about the monthly limits and it was a mess!!! Make sure you keep track of your earnigns month by month not just total for the year!!!!

Another question - does the earnings limit include only my W2 wages from my part-time job, or does it also include some consulting income I might earn through an LLC I set up? And does investment income count against the limit?

I had to deal with this exact situation in 2023 when I turned FRA in September. The SSA's phone lines were IMPOSSIBLE - spent hours trying to get through to confirm my understanding of the limits. Finally found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying here - higher limit until FRA month, then no limit after. Worth the call just for peace of mind. They even documented our conversation in my account notes.

CAREFUL! You need to understand how they calculate the monthly earnings too! If you're self-employed, they don't just divide your annual income by 12 months. They look at how much work you actually performed each month. Keep DETAILED records of when you actually do the work vs when you get paid. I got caught on this and had to appeal!

my wife had her fra last summer and we just did whatever we wanted after her birthday that month lol. nobody from ssa ever said anything to us. but i guess it depends on if your over that 59k before your fra month

In my experience, the Social Security Administration doesn't always catch earnings limit issues right away. Sometimes they do a reconciliation with IRS records 1-2 years later and then suddenly send you a notice saying you owe money back. Happened to my sister. Make ABSOLUTELY SURE you document everything and report properly throughout the year.

To add some clarity on the specific 2025 limits (these change annually with COLA adjustments): - If you're under FRA for the entire year: $22,320 annual limit - In the year you reach FRA: $59,520 limit, but only counting earnings before the month you reach FRA - Month of FRA and beyond: No earnings limit For every $2 you earn over the limit if you're under FRA all year, $1 is withheld from benefits. In the year you reach FRA, it's $1 withheld for every $3 over the limit. Since you reach FRA in July 2025, you can earn up to $59,520 from January-June with no impact. Any amount over that would reduce benefits by $1 for every $3 of excess earnings. From July onward, earn as much as you want with no reduction.

also dont forget about TAXES on SS! even if you dont hit the earnings limts you might have to pay taxes on like 85% of your benefits if your total income is high enough!! thats a whole OTHER thing to worry about!!