Tax Strategies & Credits

How to Minimize Tax on Social Security Benefits

by
Bob Mason
on
8/12/2019
How to Minimize Tax on Social Security Benefits

Do you receive Social Security benefits? Whether you're receiving them as a result of your retirement, having suffered a disability or simply reaching the eligibility age, you may be surprised to learn that this source of income is taxable. Whether your Social Security benefits are taxable — and how much tax you have to pay — depends upon a number of variables. Knowing what those variables are is important, since with that knowledge you may be able to take steps to reduce your tax liability.

The amount of tax that you owe on your Social Security benefits depends upon the same two key factors that determine much of your other tax liability: your total income and your marital status.  If your income is high, you are likely to be subject to a substantial tax, with the highest income individuals owing tax on as much as 85% of the Social Security benefits they receive. By the same token, those who rely upon Social Security as their sole source of income are unlikely to owe any taxes on it at all.

To calculate your income, you first need to understand that any Social Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that you receive is not taxable and should not be included when adding up your income. The other specific you need to know is that when adding in your Social Security benefits, you need to use the amount you receive before it is reduced by the costs of your Medicare premiums — that is your gross benefit.

How much do I owe?

Determining whether you have a tax liability on your Social Security benefits is fairly simple. Just calculate half of your gross Social Security benefit and add it to the rest of your income. You then compare that number to the base amount for your tax filing status and you will immediately be able to determine your level of liability. The base amount for each filing status is shown below:

  • Married couples filing jointly is $32,000
  • Single individuals, heads of household, qualifying widows/widowers with dependent children, and married individuals filing separately who did not live with their spouses at any time during the year is $25,000
  • For married individuals filing separately who lived together at any time during the year, the base amount is $0, and your Social Security benefits will be taxed at 85% no matter what your income is. This rule was established to stop married taxpayers from trying to reduce their income (and therefore their tax liability) by filing separately.

Once you see where your income totals fall compared to the established base amounts, you can take steps to eliminate or minimize the tax on your Social Security benefits. Some taxpayers choose to defer the distributions from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) or retirement funds, though those choosing to do so need to be mindful of the minimum distribution they are required to take once they've turned 70.5 years old.  Your ability to minimize the tax on your Social Security benefits will depend upon many factors, including your age. 

Make sure that you understand the rules in order to provide yourself with the greatest possible benefit and tax savings, and contact a tax professional if you want help with tax planning strategies.

Bob Mason, CPA writes for TaxBuzz, a tax and accounting news and advice website. Reach his office at [email protected].  

See the insights of this article summarized in a video by our CEO and founder, Lee Reams II:

share this post
Search for matches...
Bob Mason

Bob Mason

Bob Mason is the founder of Coast Financial Services Inc. servicing both the Santa Cruz, and San Jose areas. Bob Mason is a skilled financial professional who is fully equipped to assist any of your accounting needs. Founding his firm in Santa Cruz, Bob understands the importance of small businesses and how they form the backbone of the area. Coast Financial Services, Inc. has been dedicated to the growth and profitability of businesses in Santa Cruz for 17 years. To learn more about Bob Mason and the rest of his team, visit their website.

COAST FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
1 review

California

Recommended Professionals

In the face of economic uncertainty, TaxBuzz is the industry's most up-to-date tax information.

Join 60,000 who get our weekly newsletter. No spam.

We know tax and accounting issues are complicated.

Do you have additional questions on this topic for this author?

Related Posts

Latest Posts