Tax withholding from Social Security checks - How to submit W-4V form correctly?
I'm turning 66 next month and finally filed for my SS retirement benefits! My first payment will hit my bank account in February. I want to have federal taxes withheld right from the start to avoid quarterly payments or a big tax bill next year. I've downloaded the W-4V form for voluntary withholding, but I'm confused about how to submit it. Do I mail it directly to the main Social Security office or take it to my local SSA office? Their website says no walk-ins anymore, but I noticed they have a document drop box outside the building. Has anyone done this recently? Can I just leave my completed W-4V in their drop box, or will it get lost in the shuffle? I'm trying to get this set up before that first payment hits!
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Natalie Chen
I submitted my W-4V about 8 months ago when I started collecting my retirement benefits. You have a few options: 1. Mail it directly to your local SSA office (this is what I did) 2. Fax it to your local office 3. Use the secure drop box if your local office has one I'd recommend calling your local office first to confirm they have a secure drop box. Also make sure you keep a photocopy of your completed form just in case it gets lost. When I mailed mine, it took about 3 weeks for the withholding to start showing up on my monthly payments.
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Maria Gonzalez
•Thanks for the quick response! I'll definitely make a copy before submitting. Did you get any confirmation from SSA that they received and processed your W-4V? Or did you just have to wait until you saw the withholding on your payment?
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Santiago Martinez
i put mine in the drop box last year works fine. they dont send u any confiramtion tho just shows up on ur check. make sure u check the right % box! i did 7% but wished i did more lol
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Maria Gonzalez
•Good to know the drop box worked for you! I was thinking of doing 10% withholding to be safe. Did it take effect on your very next payment?
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Samantha Johnson
The most reliable method is to fax the W-4V directly to your local office. The drop boxes can be hit or miss depending on your local office's staffing and procedures. I always recommend that clients send it via certified mail if they're concerned about tracking. One important detail: make sure you're using the current version of the W-4V form (revised December 2023). The IRS updated it and sometimes the old versions get rejected. Also note that you can only select from the standard withholding percentages (7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%) - you can't specify a custom amount. Your withholding should take effect within one payment cycle if submitted at least 30 days before your payment date. If you submit it closer to your payment date, it may take an additional month to process.
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Maria Gonzalez
•Thank you for such detailed information! I wasn't aware of the form update - I'll double-check which version I downloaded. Since my first check is coming in about 3 weeks, it sounds like the withholding probably won't start until March. I appreciate the certified mail suggestion too.
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Nick Kravitz
DONT USE THE DROP BOX!! I left my W-4V in the drop box last April and they NEVER processed it! Ended up owing a bunch at tax time and when I called they had NO RECORD of my form!!! Had to submit it again and waited on hold for 3 HOURS to finally talk to someone who could help. The whole system is a disaster.
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Hannah White
•Same thing happened to my neighbor! She ended up having to pay penalties because she thought her withholding was set up but SSA lost her form. The drop boxes are basically black holes in some offices.
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Maria Gonzalez
•Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about! I definitely don't want to end up owing a bunch in taxes with penalties. Maybe certified mail is the safest option after all.
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Michael Green
I just went through this whole process in December! I faxed my W-4V to the local office AND also mailed a copy just to be safe. Then I spent 2 weeks trying to get through on the phone to confirm they received it. Was on hold for like 45 minutes each time before getting disconnected. So frustrating trying to reach a real person there!
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Mateo Silva
•I had the same problem trying to confirm my W-4V was processed! After wasting hours trying to get through on the phone, I tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it worked amazingly well. They get you through to a real SSA agent without the endless hold times. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I was skeptical at first, but it saved me so much frustration. The agent confirmed my tax withholding was set up correctly, which gave me peace of mind before tax season.
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Maria Gonzalez
Update: I called my local office this morning and finally got through after about 30 minutes. They confirmed they DO have a secure drop box but recommended certified mail instead for forms like the W-4V. Apparently they process drop box items within 5 business days but can't guarantee tracking within their system. I'm going to send it certified mail tomorrow just to be safe. Thanks everyone for your advice!
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Natalie Chen
•Good choice going with certified mail! One other quick tip - after about 2 weeks, you can check your MySocialSecurity account online. Go to the Message Center and sometimes (though not always) there will be a confirmation that your withholding request was processed. Just another way to verify without having to call them again.
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Santiago Martinez
wait did u say retirement benfit or SSDI? cause theres diffrnt rules for disability tax stuff i think
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Maria Gonzalez
•I'm getting regular retirement benefits (just turned 66), not SSDI. But good point - I imagine there might be different considerations for disability benefits.
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Samantha Johnson
•You're right that there are some differences, but the W-4V form is actually used for both retirement and disability benefits. The withholding percentages and submission process are the same. The main difference is that some SSDI recipients may not have enough total income to owe federal taxes, while most retirement benefit recipients will have other income sources that make their benefits taxable.
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