When to file for Social Security in 2025 to include this year's income in benefit calculation?

Your 2025 earnings won't actually be factored into your benefit calculation until after 2025 is over and your employer has submitted your W-2 info (usually by January 31, 2026). SSA doesn't know your full 2025 earnings until that reporting is complete.That said, you can still file and begin receiving benefits at your FRA in April 2025. Then, if your 2025 earnings end up increasing your benefit amount (by replacing a lower earning year in your top 35), SSA will automatically recalculate and adjust your monthly payment - typically around August-October 2026 - and pay you any difference retroactively.

So if I understand correctly, I can still claim at my FRA in April, start getting payments, and then later SSA will automatically adjust if my 2025 earnings bump up my benefit? I wouldn't need to do anything special to make this happen?

I went through this exact situation last year! Your earnings for 2025 won't actually count toward your benefit calculation until sometime in 2026 after all tax reporting is finalized. Here's what I did:1. Applied for benefits 3 months before my FRA (you can do this starting in January 2025)2. Started receiving payments at my FRA (like you'll do in April)3. Continued working through December4. Got a nice retroactive adjustment in September 2026 when SSA recomputed my benefit with my final year earningsThe SSA phone lines were IMPOSSIBLE to get through during this process. I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual SSA representative in 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you want to see how it works. Totally worth it when I had questions about how my 2024 earnings would affect my benefit.

wait does this mean I need to call social security after i file my taxes every year i work?? im 64 and planning to work til 67 or 68... do they really not automatic update this??

Yes, that's exactly right. You can claim at your FRA in April 2025, and SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount after your 2025 earnings are processed. You don't need to take any special actions to trigger this recalculation.This is a standard procedure called an Automatic Earnings Recomputation Operation (AERO). SSA runs these every year to capture situations exactly like yours.

Thank you! That's a huge relief. My neighbor had me worried I'd need to delay filing until January 2026 to capture my 2025 earnings. Glad to know I can start collecting at FRA and still get credit for my final working year.

@confused_worker64 - Yes, it IS automatic! That's the good news. You don't need to call Social Security after filing taxes. The SSA automatically reviews your earnings record each year and will adjust your benefit if your recent earnings increase your benefit amount. This process is completely automatic - you don't have to do anything to trigger it.

oh thank goodness!! with all the stories about SS mistakes i was getting nervous id miss out on higher benefits. thx for explaining

My brothers wifes cousin worked at social securty for 30 years and said ALWAYS wait until march of the following year to apply so ALL your earnings are in the system!!! He said they often miss earnings if you apply to early and then its a NIGHTMARE to fix!!

This is incorrect advice. The SSA's AERO process automatically recalculates benefits when new earnings are reported. While earnings reporting can sometimes have errors (always check your earnings record on MySocialSecurity), waiting to file doesn't prevent those errors. If you're at FRA, there's no financial advantage to delaying your application just to include one more year of earnings. File when you're eligible, and the system will adjust your benefit automatically when newer earnings are processed.

I appreciate everyone's help! I'm going to plan on applying about 3 months before my FRA (so January 2025) to start benefits right when I reach full retirement age in April. It's reassuring to know the system will automatically adjust for my 2025 earnings later. I'll definitely check my earnings record on MySocialSecurity before applying to make sure everything looks correct up through 2024 at least.

That's a perfect plan! And checking your earnings record is so important - I found a missing year from 2008 when I checked mine. One more tip: when you apply, SSA will ask if you want to file for any retroactive benefits. Since you're planning to claim exactly at FRA, you could technically get up to 6 months of retroactive benefits if you wanted to. But this would permanently reduce your monthly amount since you'd effectively be filing earlier than FRA. Just something to be prepared for when you apply!

DON'T TRUST THE AUTOMATIC PROCESS!!! My husband retired in 2023 and we're STILL fighting with SSA to get his 2023 earnings included!!! The \

did u check his earnings record online? my dad had similar issue & turns out employer reported his income under wrong ssn. not really ssa fault but took forever to fix

One technical point that hasn't been mentioned: while SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit to include 2025 earnings, this only matters if 2025 is one of your highest 35 years of indexed earnings. Social Security benefits are based on your highest 35 years of earnings (after indexing for inflation). If 2025 doesn't replace a lower year in your top 35, then including it won't change your benefit at all.Since you mentioned earning $125,000 now versus potentially lower amounts earlier in your career, there's a good chance 2025 will indeed increase your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). Just wanted to clarify why the final year sometimes doesn't affect the benefit calculation.

That's a really good point. I started working in 1991 at about $22,000/year, so I'm pretty sure my recent earnings will replace some of those early lower-earning years. Is there a way to estimate how much difference my 2025 earnings might make to my monthly benefit?

@retiring_in_2025 - Yes, you can get a rough estimate. Log into your MySocialSecurity account and download your earnings record. The SSA has a calculator called

Thanks! Just checked my record and my lowest earning years in the 90s were between $20-30K, so replacing one of those with $125K should make a meaningful difference. I'll download that calculator and play around with it this weekend.

Just wanted to add - if you're planning to continue working part-time or consulting after April 2025, make sure you understand the earnings test rules even though you'll be at FRA. Once you reach your full retirement age, there's no earnings limit, so you can earn as much as you want without any reduction in benefits. This is different from claiming early (before FRA) where there are strict earnings limits. Since you mentioned winding down your career, you might have some flexibility to do project work or consulting without worrying about benefit reductions. The key advantage is that any additional earnings after you start collecting will also be factored into future automatic recalculations if they're high enough to replace lower years in your earnings history.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone who's also approaching retirement age (I turn 66 next year), I had similar concerns about timing my application to capture my final working years. The clarification about the Automatic Earnings Recomputation Operation (AERO) is exactly what I needed to hear. I was also under the impression that I'd need to wait until the following year to ensure my earnings were included, but knowing that SSA automatically handles this takes a lot of pressure off the decision. Miguel, your situation sounds very similar to mine - I've also been earning some of my highest salaries in recent years after decades of lower earnings. It's reassuring to know we can start collecting at FRA and still get credit for that final year of work. I'm definitely going to check my earnings record on MySocialSecurity and maybe play around with that calculator Keisha mentioned. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge!

As someone who just went through this process last year at age 66, I can confirm everything that's been shared here is spot on! I was in almost the exact same situation - earning my highest salary ever ($115K) in my final working year and worried about timing my application. I filed in February for benefits to start at my FRA in May, kept working through December, and sure enough, got that automatic recalculation in October of this year with a nice retroactive bump. The AERO process really does work automatically - no phone calls or paperwork needed on my end. One small tip: when you get that recalculation notice, save it! It shows exactly how your benefit increased and which year got replaced in your calculation. Mine replaced a $18K year from 1995 with my $115K final year, which added about $47 to my monthly benefit. Not huge, but definitely worth having for an extra 10+ years of retirement. Miguel, you're making all the right moves by planning to apply 3 months early and checking your earnings record first.

This has been such an educational thread! I'm 64 and was planning to work until 67, but I've been worried about how to time everything to maximize my benefits. Reading about the AERO process and seeing Olivia's real example with actual numbers ($47/month increase from replacing that 1995 income) really helps me understand what to expect. I had no idea that SSA automatically handles these recalculations - I was dreading having to navigate their phone system every year! One question for those who've been through this: do they send you any kind of notification when they're doing the recalculation, or does the adjustment just show up in your payment? I like to keep detailed records of everything for my own peace of mind.

This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! I'm 65 and was stressing about the same timing issues. What really stands out to me is how many people were initially confused about the AERO process - I think SSA could do a much better job explaining this automatic recalculation feature when people are approaching retirement. The fact that you can start benefits at FRA and still get credit for your final working year should be prominently featured in their materials, not something people have to piece together from forums like this. Miguel, your plan sounds solid. One thing I'd add is that once you start the application process, they'll give you a detailed breakdown of your estimated benefit. That's another good checkpoint to verify everything looks correct before your benefits actually begin. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - especially Olivia with those concrete numbers. It's so helpful to see actual examples rather than just theoretical explanations!