Home > Magazine > Moneywise > Could Your Social Security Income Be Taxed?
A closer look at the provisional income rules
Many new retirees assume that Social Security income is tax-free. That is not always the case. The Social Security Amendments of 1983 opened the door to taxes on some SSI, depending on the amount of income someone earns in a calendar year.
How much of your SSI is potentially taxable? As much as 85 percent of it, under certainconditions. Four factors determine how much of your SSI will be taxed:
• The total amount of income that you earn
• Where it comes from
• Your taxpayer filing status
• Your provisional income—a MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) calculation that you can figure out by using Worksheet 34-1 in IRS Publication 915 or the Social Security Benefits Worksheet in the instruction booklets for IRS Form 1040 and Form 1040A.
How is provisional income determined? In simple terms, this is calculated using your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), minus one-half of your Social Security benefits. (Tax-free interest from investments such as municipal bonds also becomes provisional income.)
How much income can you earn before your SSI is taxed? The 2011 limits are pretty straightforward:
• Single person: Up to 50 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income is greater than $25,000, and up to 85 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income exceeds $34,000.
• Married/head of household: Up to 50 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income is greater than $32,000, and up to 85 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income exceeds $44,000.
Who doesn’t have to worry about this? If your only source of income is Social Security or equivalent retirement railroad benefits, it is unlikely that your SSI will be taxed and you may not even need to file a federal return. In 2011, Social Security benefits are tax-exempt for single taxpayers with provisional incomes under $25,000 and married/head of household taxpayers with provisional incomes under $32,000.
What can be done to reduce (or avoid) the tax? If you are close to hitting either the 50 percent or 85 percent tax levels, you may want to think twice about moves that could take your provisional income over the threshold—for example, receiving a sizable chunk of profit from selling a stock, or converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Here are some common moves people make with the input of a qualified tax or financial professional:
• Delaying some investment income, rental income or pension income until the following tax year
• Shifting assets from accounts or investments producing reportable income (like CDs) into tax-deferred alternatives
• Working less
• Ramping up pre-tax contributions to an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b)
• Lowering interest income (such as income from CDs)
• Lowering tax-exempt interest income (from municipal bonds, federal tax refunds, veteran’s benefits, gifts and other sources).
Before April rolls around, it might be wise to consider the different ways to manage taxes on your Social Security benefits. Some new SSI recipients may be taken aback by the tax they end up paying; alternatively, you can plan to reduce it.
[Moneywise is hosted by Rajesh Jyotishi with Shalin Financial Services, Inc. Rajesh is an investment advisor representative of Resource Horizons Group, L.L.C., a registered broker-dealer, and a member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Resource Horizons Investment Advisory. Rajesh has been in the insurance, investments and financial planning field since 1991. For questions, he can be reached at 770-451-1932, ext. 101. Rajesh@khabar.com.]
blog comments powered by Disqus
Could Your Social Security Income Be Taxed?
Presented by Rajesh Jyotishi 
November 2011
A closer look at the provisional income rules Many new retirees assume that Social Security income is tax-free. That is not always the case. The Social Security Amendments of 1983 opened the door to taxes on some SSI, depending on the amount of income someone earns in a calendar year.
How much of your SSI is potentially taxable? As much as 85 percent of it, under certainconditions. Four factors determine how much of your SSI will be taxed:
• The total amount of income that you earn
• Where it comes from
• Your taxpayer filing status
• Your provisional income—a MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) calculation that you can figure out by using Worksheet 34-1 in IRS Publication 915 or the Social Security Benefits Worksheet in the instruction booklets for IRS Form 1040 and Form 1040A.
How is provisional income determined? In simple terms, this is calculated using your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), minus one-half of your Social Security benefits. (Tax-free interest from investments such as municipal bonds also becomes provisional income.)
How much income can you earn before your SSI is taxed? The 2011 limits are pretty straightforward:
• Single person: Up to 50 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income is greater than $25,000, and up to 85 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income exceeds $34,000.
• Married/head of household: Up to 50 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income is greater than $32,000, and up to 85 percent of your SSI can be taxed if your provisional income exceeds $44,000.
Who doesn’t have to worry about this? If your only source of income is Social Security or equivalent retirement railroad benefits, it is unlikely that your SSI will be taxed and you may not even need to file a federal return. In 2011, Social Security benefits are tax-exempt for single taxpayers with provisional incomes under $25,000 and married/head of household taxpayers with provisional incomes under $32,000.
What can be done to reduce (or avoid) the tax? If you are close to hitting either the 50 percent or 85 percent tax levels, you may want to think twice about moves that could take your provisional income over the threshold—for example, receiving a sizable chunk of profit from selling a stock, or converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Here are some common moves people make with the input of a qualified tax or financial professional:
• Delaying some investment income, rental income or pension income until the following tax year
• Shifting assets from accounts or investments producing reportable income (like CDs) into tax-deferred alternatives
• Working less
• Ramping up pre-tax contributions to an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b)
• Lowering interest income (such as income from CDs)
• Lowering tax-exempt interest income (from municipal bonds, federal tax refunds, veteran’s benefits, gifts and other sources).
Before April rolls around, it might be wise to consider the different ways to manage taxes on your Social Security benefits. Some new SSI recipients may be taken aback by the tax they end up paying; alternatively, you can plan to reduce it.
[Moneywise is hosted by Rajesh Jyotishi with Shalin Financial Services, Inc. Rajesh is an investment advisor representative of Resource Horizons Group, L.L.C., a registered broker-dealer, and a member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Resource Horizons Investment Advisory. Rajesh has been in the insurance, investments and financial planning field since 1991. For questions, he can be reached at 770-451-1932, ext. 101. Rajesh@khabar.com.]
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
