Social Security earnings limit question - born in 1978 and worried about 1099 income

yes all earnings count toward the limit no matter if its W2 or 1099...with birth year of 1978 ur FRA is 67 so u got a ways to go before that limit goes away. for 2025 i think the limit is like $22k or something before they start taking $1 for every $2 you earn over. check ssa website for exact number

Let me clarify some details here. For 2025, the earnings limit for someone under Full Retirement Age (FRA) is $22,320. Since you were born in 1978, your FRA is 67, so this limit applies to you until you reach that age. Yes, 1099 income absolutely counts toward this limit. The Social Security Administration considers all earnings, whether from employment (W-2) or self-employment (1099). They'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that annual limit. The SSA receives information about your earnings from the IRS, but it's always best practice to report changes in your earnings to SSA directly. This helps avoid unexpected overpayments that you'd have to repay later.

Wait I'm confused... how are you collecting SS already if born in 1978? You'd only be like 47 years old in 2025. You can't get regular retirement benefits that young? Are you on SSDI (disability) instead of retirement? Because the rules are different for disability benefits vs early retirement.

This changes EVERYTHING. SSDI has completely different rules than retirement benefits. For SSDI, the key threshold is Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), which for 2025 is $1,550 per month for non-blind individuals. If you earn more than the SGA amount, you risk losing your SSDI benefits entirely after a Trial Work Period. The Trial Work Period lets you test your ability to work for 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) while keeping full benefits regardless of how much you earn. A trial work month is any month where you earn over $1,110 (for 2025). So your situation is potentially much more serious than just a retirement earnings limit issue. You need to be very careful with your 1099 work.

hey there - my sister went thru this exact situation last year. she was on SSDI and started doing some freelance work getting 1099s. She had NO IDEA about all these complicated rules and ended up with a huge overpayment notice. when she tried calling SSA, she kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours!!! total nightmare.

I've worked with SSDI recipients for years, and here's what you need to understand: the SSA does have some work incentives designed to help you transition back to work safely. 1. Trial Work Period (TWP): 9 months where you can earn ANY amount without affecting benefits 2. Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE): 36 months after TWP where benefits are reinstated in months you don't exceed SGA 3. Expedited Reinstatement: If benefits end due to work, you can request quick reinstatement within 5 years without a new application if unable to work Also, certain work expenses related to your disability can be deducted from your earnings before determining if you're engaging in SGA. These are called Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE). Contact your local SSA office or call their main line to speak with a representative who can review your specific situation and guide you on next steps.

ALL MY INCOME counts???? I've been on SSDI for 3 years and been getting cash for some side jobs here and there!!! No body told me i had to count that!!!

my brother was in a similar situation and he found out there's something called the Ticket to Work program that might help you if u want to try working more without losing benefits right away. not sure how it works exactly but worth looking into

this is so confusing!!!! how is anyone supposed to keep track of all these rules and limits and trial periods???? and they wonder why people just give up trying to work at all!

Thank you everyone for all this valuable information! I've learned so much. I'm going to call SSA tomorrow to find out exactly where I stand with my Trial Work Period and get clarity on my specific situation. I'm also going to look into both the Ticket to Work program and whether any of my expenses qualify as Impairment-Related Work Expenses. Really appreciate all the help!