Will Social Security benefits of $13,920 be taxable for single person with partial blindness?

Whether your Social Security benefits are taxable depends on your combined income. For single filers, if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + 1/2 of Social Security benefits) is between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50% of benefits may be taxable. Above $34,000, up to 85% may be taxable. In your case, your calculation would be: $4,500 (work income) + $6,960 (half of your SS benefits) = $11,460 Since this is well below the $25,000 threshold, your Social Security benefits should not be taxable. You'll still need to file a tax return for your work income though.

you might wanna double check about that partial blindness thing!! my cousin has partial vision loss and got SSDI after appealing twice. dont just take the first no u get from SSA!!! their whole system is designed to reject people!!

To add to what others have said about the tax question, since you're already receiving retirement benefits, you should be aware of two important things: 1. You mentioned working part-time. Since you're earning $4,500, you're well under the 2025 earnings limit ($22,320 for those under Full Retirement Age), so you won't face any benefit reduction. 2. Regarding your partial blindness: While it may not qualify as "statutory blindness" (which requires visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in your better eye or a visual field of 20 degrees or less), you might still qualify for a disability freeze that could protect your future benefit amounts. I'd recommend scheduling a specific appointment to discuss this option.

I had almost the exact same situation last year! Single, only SS income around 14k plus a tiny bit from a side hustle. Didn't have to pay any taxes on my benefits. The tax software I used walked me through it all.

I see you're getting good tax advice, but I wanted to address the vision issue. The SSA has very specific definitions for blindness. For disability purposes, you need to be "legally blind" which means vision that can't be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye OR a visual field of 20 degrees or less in your better eye. Based on your 60% vision loss description, you might not meet this threshold. However, if your vision has worsened or affects your ability to work, it might be worth reapplying with more medical documentation. Even partial vision loss, combined with other factors like age, can sometimes qualify under regular disability rules if not under the specific blindness provisions.

Just wanted to mention that you should be getting a SSA-1099 form in January showing your benefit amount for tax purposes. Keep that for your records even if you don't end up owing taxes. And remember to file your taxes even if your income is low - sometimes you can get credits or refunds you didn't know about!

anyone else notice how IMPOSSIBLE it is to actually talk to someone at social security these days?? i tried calling about my moms benefits for WEEKS and kept getting disconnected!!

I just wanted to thank everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much better knowing I probably won't owe taxes on my benefits. I'm also going to look into that disability freeze option that was mentioned, and maybe reconsider applying for disability benefits with better medical documentation. I appreciate all the advice!

my aunt had to pay taxes on her SS and she only made like 30k total so it really depends on ur other income. its so confusing!!!