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Alexis Robinson

When does tax withholding start after requesting it on Social Security benefits? Can I reverse it easily?

I'm currently working part-time while receiving Social Security retirement benefits and worried about my tax situation. I haven't been having any federal taxes withheld from my SS checks, but I'm wondering if I should start. If I request tax withholding on my benefits now, how long does it typically take for SSA to implement it? And if I stop working next year (when my income will drop below taxable levels), how complicated is it to reverse the withholding? Is there a waiting period to stop the withholding once I request it to end? Just trying to plan ahead since my work situation is temporary.

You can start or stop federal tax withholding by completing Form W-4V. In my experience, it took about 30-45 days for the changes to take effect. You can request 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% withholding rate. When you're ready to stop the withholding, you'll submit the same form but check the box to stop withholding instead. That also took about a month to process when I did it last year.

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Thank you! That's really helpful to know about the timeframe. So about 1-2 months both ways. Do you know if I can submit the W-4V online through my SSA account or do I have to mail it in?

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why bother with all that paperwork??? just increase your withholding at your job to cover what you might owe from SS. WAY easier to adjust on your W-4 at work than dealing with SSA bureaucracy!!

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That's a really good point I hadn't thought of! It would be much simpler to just adjust my work withholding. I'll check with my payroll department on Monday to see what I need to do. Thanks for the suggestion!

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I did this exact thing when I was working part-time with SS benefits. Just calculated roughly what my tax liability would be from the SS portion and had extra taken from my paycheck. MUCH easier than the SSA paperwork route.

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Good morning! Social Security specialist here. To add to what others have said, you have several options: 1. File Form W-4V requesting voluntary withholding from your SS benefits (7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%) 2. Make quarterly estimated tax payments 3. Increase withholding from your wages as another commenter suggested The processing time for Form W-4V is typically 30-60 days, and the same timeframe applies when you want to stop withholding. There's no penalty for starting/stopping, but be aware that if you have no withholding and owe more than $1,000 at tax time, you might face an underpayment penalty. For your specific situation where you'll stop working soon, increasing your current paycheck withholding might indeed be the simplest solution.

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Is there anyway to do this online?? I hate having to mail in forms and wait forever for them to process things. My mom has been waiting 3 months for them to process her address change!

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Unfortunately, the W-4V for tax withholding from Social Security benefits cannot be submitted online at this time. It must be mailed or delivered in person to your local Social Security office. Address changes should be much faster than 3 months though - your mother might want to follow up on that as it shouldn't take nearly that long.

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SSA is THE WORST with processing paperwork!!! When I submitted my W-4V last year it took them ALMOST THREE MONTHS to start the withholding, and by then I was hit with an underpayment penalty because not enough was withheld for the year. And don't even get me started on trying to call them to check on status - impossible to get through!

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Be careful with your calculations if you go the route of increasing withholding at work. Up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxable depending on your combined income. The IRS has a worksheet to figure out exactly how much of your SS is taxable. Don't want you to withhold too little and get surprised at tax time!

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I didn't realize it could be as high as 85%! Is there an easy calculator online somewhere to figure this out? My combined income this year will be around $38,000 including SS.

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At a combined income of $38,000, some of your Social Security will indeed be taxable. The IRS has an online tool called the Interactive Tax Assistant that can help determine how much is taxable in your situation. You can find it on irs.gov by searching for "Is My Social Security Taxable." With your income level, it's likely that up to 50% of your benefits could be taxable, but the calculator will give you a more precise answer.

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i just put extra in my savings each month for taxes instead of giving govt an interest free loan all year. then if i need the money for emergency i have it. just sayin

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That works if you're disciplined, but be warned - if you owe more than $1,000 at tax time, the IRS might hit you with an underpayment penalty. I learned that the hard way!

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Just as a follow-up to my earlier comment - make sure if you do file the W-4V that you keep a copy and perhaps send it certified mail. When I did mine, they claimed they never received the first one I sent, and I had to submit it again which added another 6 weeks to the process. The SSA can be frustratingly slow with paperwork!

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Thank you for the tip! After reading through all the comments, I think I'll just adjust my work withholding on Monday. It seems much faster and more reliable than dealing with SSA paperwork. I appreciate everyone's help!

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Smart decision! Adjusting your work withholding is definitely the path of least resistance here. Just make sure to calculate it properly - with your combined income around $38k, roughly 50% of your SS benefits will likely be taxable. So if you're getting say $1,500/month in SS, about $750 of that is taxable income. Factor that into your withholding calculations at work. Good luck with everything!

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For quarterly estimated tax payments, there's no minimum amount - you can pay whatever you calculate you'll owe. The key is making sure your total payments (withholding + estimated payments) equal at least 90% of this year's tax liability or 100% of last year's (110% if your prior year AGI was over $150k). Since you're planning to stop working early next year, quarterly payments might actually give you the most flexibility. You could make a Q4 payment in January to cover any 2024 shortfall, then reassess your 2025 situation once you're no longer working. The IRS Form 1040ES has worksheets to help calculate the right amount.

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This is exactly the kind of detailed guidance I was hoping for! The flexibility of quarterly payments is really appealing, especially since my work situation is temporary. I like that I can make a Q4 payment in January to handle any 2024 shortfall, then completely reassess for 2025 when my income drops. Do you happen to know if I can make these estimated payments online through the IRS website, or do I need to mail in checks? I'm trying to avoid as much paperwork and mail delays as possible given all the horror stories about SSA processing times in this thread!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov where you can set up an account and make payments directly from your bank account. There's also the option to pay by debit/credit card through third-party processors on the IRS website, though they charge a small convenience fee. Much faster and more reliable than mailing checks - payments post within 1-2 business days. Given all the SSA processing delays people have mentioned here, the online route is definitely your best bet for avoiding mail-related headaches!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and process much faster than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for occasional payments - you just need your SSN, bank account info, and the amount. Payments made by 8pm ET are typically processed the same business day. Much more reliable than dealing with mail delays, especially given all the SSA processing nightmares people have mentioned here!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option right on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. You can also pay by credit/debit card through third-party processors, though they charge a small fee. I've been using the Direct Pay option for years - it's super convenient and you get immediate confirmation that your payment went through. Much better than worrying about whether your check got lost in the mail!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov which lets you pay directly from your bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for occasional payments since you don't need to register for an account - you just need your SSN, bank info, and prior year tax return to verify your identity. Payments typically process within 1-2 business days, so no waiting weeks like with mailed forms. Given all the SSA processing delays mentioned in this thread, online payments are definitely the way to go!

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Yes, you can definitely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are much faster and more reliable than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for one-off payments - you just need your SSN, bank account info, and the amount you want to pay. You can even schedule the payment in advance, so you could set up your January Q4 payment right now if you want. No paperwork, no mail delays, and you get instant confirmation that it went through.

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov where you can set up an account and make payments directly from your bank account. There's also the IRS Direct Pay option on irs.gov if you just need to make a one-time payment. Both are much faster and more reliable than mailing checks - payments process within 1-2 business days. Given all the SSA paperwork delays people have mentioned here, the online route is definitely your best bet for estimated payments.

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. You can also pay by credit/debit card through third-party processors, though they charge a small fee. Online payments are processed within 1-2 business days, so no waiting weeks for mail to arrive and be processed like with the SSA forms everyone's been complaining about. Definitely the way to go for quarterly payments!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for one-off payments - you just need your SSN, bank account info, and the amount you want to pay. Payments process within 1-2 business days, so if you decide to make a Q4 payment in January, you could literally do it online and have it processed before the January 15th deadline. Way better than dealing with mail delays!

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Yes, you can definitely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. You can schedule payments in advance too, so you could set up your January Q4 payment now if you wanted to. Way more reliable than dealing with mail delays - especially given all the SSA processing nightmares people have mentioned here!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov which lets you pay directly from your bank account. Both are much faster and more reliable than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for occasional payments since you don't need to set up an account - you just need your SSN, bank info, and previous year's tax return info to verify your identity. Definitely beats dealing with the mail delays everyone's been complaining about with SSA!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov where you can set up an account and make payments directly from your bank account. There's also the option to pay by credit/debit card through third-party processors on the IRS website, though they charge a small convenience fee. Much faster and more reliable than mailing checks - payments post immediately and you get confirmation. Given all the SSA processing delays mentioned in this thread, online payments are definitely the way to go for estimated taxes!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and process much faster than mailing checks. You can also pay by credit/debit card through third-party processors, though they charge a small fee. I've used the Direct Pay option several times and it's super convenient - you just need your bank account info and Social Security number. Much better than dealing with mail delays!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can pay directly through irs.gov using their "Direct Pay" option. Both allow you to schedule payments in advance, which is super convenient. You can even set up the January 15th Q4 payment now if you want. Much faster and more reliable than mailing checks, especially given all the processing delays people have mentioned with government agencies lately. Just make sure to keep confirmation numbers for your records!

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov where you can make payments directly from your bank account. There's also the IRS Direct Pay option on irs.gov for one-time payments. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. You can even schedule payments in advance, so you could set up that January Q4 payment now if you want. I've been using EFTPS for years and it's so much more reliable than dealing with mail delays. Just make sure to allow a few business days for the payment to process, especially around tax deadlines.

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Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for occasional payments since you don't need to set up an account - you just need your SSN, bank info, and prior year tax return info for verification. Payments process within 1-2 business days, so no waiting weeks like with the SSA paperwork nightmares everyone's mentioned here!

0 coins

Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for one-time payments - you just need your Social Security number, bank account info, and your adjusted gross income from your prior year tax return to verify your identity. Payments typically process within 1-2 business days, so no waiting weeks like with mailed forms to SSA!

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Yes, you can definitely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov which lets you pay directly from your bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier if you're just making occasional payments - you don't need to set up an account beforehand. I've used it several times and payments process within 1-2 business days. Way better than dealing with the mail system, especially given all the SSA delays people have mentioned here!

0 coins

Yes, you can absolutely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are much faster and more reliable than mailing checks. Direct Pay is probably easier for one-time payments - you just need your SSN, bank account info, and the amount you want to pay. No waiting for mail or worrying about processing delays like with the SSA forms everyone's been complaining about. You can even schedule the payment in advance, so you could set up your January Q4 payment now if you want.

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Yes, you can definitely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov with your bank account. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. You can also pay by debit/credit card through third-party processors, though they charge a small convenience fee. I've been using the Direct Pay option for years and it's super convenient - you just need your SSN, bank account info, and the prior year tax return amount for verification. Much better than dealing with mail delays!

0 coins

Yes, you can definitely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov where you can set up an account and make payments directly from your bank account. There's also the IRS Direct Pay option on irs.gov which is simpler for one-time payments - you just need your Social Security number, filing status, and the refund or amount owed from your prior year return to verify your identity. Both are free and much faster than mailing checks. I've used Direct Pay several times and the payments process within 1-2 business days. Much better than dealing with mail delays!

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Yes, you can definitely make estimated tax payments online! The IRS has a system called EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) at eftps.gov, or you can use the "Direct Pay" option on irs.gov if you're paying from a bank account. Both are free and process immediately, so no waiting for checks to clear or worrying about mail delays. You can also pay by phone, though there might be a small convenience fee. Much more reliable than dealing with SSA's paperwork processing! The online systems also let you schedule payments in advance, so you could even set up your January Q4 payment now if you wanted to.

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