Will SSA send separate 1099s for widow and spousal benefits received in same tax year?

You'll receive just one SSA-1099 that shows the total benefits paid to you throughout the year, regardless of the benefit type. The Social Security Administration combines all benefits paid to you under your own Social Security number on a single form. The form doesn't break down which months were spousal benefits versus widow benefits - it just shows the total amount paid to you for the year.

Thank you! That simplifies things. So I just need to give my tax preparer the one form and they'll know what to do with it? Is there anything special I need to tell them about the switch from spousal to widow benefits mid-year?

my aunt got one form when she went from disable to retirement last yr. they just lump it all together

You'll get one SSA-1099. Social Security doesn't care about the TYPE of benefit when they report to IRS, just the TOTAL amount they paid you. I went through same thing when I switched from my own retirement to widow benefits in 2023 after my husband died. BUT WATCH OUT - check the amount carefully when you get it! When I switched benefits, they made a mistake on my 1099 and it was off by about $3000. Had to go through HELL getting it fixed before filing taxes!!

Oh no! That's exactly the kind of problem I'm worried about. Did you have to go to the local office to get the 1099 corrected?

YES and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone on the phone!! Spent 3 days calling and getting disconnected. Finally went to the office and still had to wait 2 weeks for a corrected form. Almost missed tax deadline because of their mistake!!

I had this exact situation last year, and I can confirm you'll only receive one SSA-1099. The SSA doesn't differentiate between benefit types on the tax form - they simply report the total benefits paid to your SSN during the tax year.If you're having difficulty reaching someone at SSA to verify this (their phone lines are notoriously busy), I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through quickly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to confirm some details about my benefits change.

Thank you for confirming! And thanks for the tip about Claimyr - I'll keep that in mind if I need to talk to SSA. Right now I'm just trying to prepare for tax season, but I know how frustrating those phone calls can be.

My situation was different but kinda similar - I got SSDI part of year then regular retirement when I hit FRA. All came on one 1099. But is your tax situation changing too with losing your husband? Might be more important than the 1099 issue honestly

That's a really good point I hadn't thought about. This will be my first year filing as a widow rather than married filing jointly. I should probably talk to my tax person about that whole situation rather than just focusing on the 1099 form.

The Social Security Administration issues a single SSA-1099 that combines all benefits paid under your Social Security number, regardless of benefit type. The form shows Box 5

Thank you for this detailed explanation! I didn't realize I might still be able to file jointly for 2025. That's definitely something I'll discuss with my tax preparer. And I've been keeping all my direct deposit records so I can verify the total amount.

I got confused by this too!!! My husband died in 2024 and I switched from spousal to survivor benefits. I was POSITIVE I would get two forms but nope just one form came in January showing everything together. Social security doesn't care what KIND of benefit they just add up all the $$$ they sent you.Also make sure you tell your tax person your husband died because there's some special rules for filing the year someone dies. Good luck and sorry for your loss I know how hard it is.

what about if they take money out for medicare does the 1099 show the amount before or after they take that out?

The SSA-1099 typically shows the gross benefit amount before Medicare premium deductions, and then separately indicates the amount deducted for Medicare premiums. The