Tax & Social Security
How Social Security and other retirement income are taxed, federally and by state, and the tax rules for withdrawing from retirement accounts.
These guides explain how Social Security works once you are close to claiming or already collecting: how to apply, when payments arrive, what happens if you keep working, and whether your benefit is taxed. Others cover the disability programs, Railroad Retirement, the repeal of WEP and GPO, the tax deductions for people 65 and older, and taking money out of retirement accounts without a penalty.
Form SSA-1099 Explained: What Each Box Means and What to Do With It
Which box goes on your tax return, why Box 3 is bigger than your deposits, and how to get a replacement form online.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityHow to Apply for Social Security Retirement Benefits
The retirement application is short. Most delays come from the identity check before it, so set up your account a few weeks ahead. Here are the steps in order.
Read more → Tax & Social SecuritySSDI vs SSI: What Actually Determines Which One You Get, and When
SSDI and SSI use the same medical test for disability, but they differ on who qualifies, when payments start, how far back they reach, and which health coverage comes with them.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityAre Your Social Security Benefits Being Taxed?
Your total income decides whether your Social Security is taxed, and the size of your check does not. Here is the IRS formula, with two examples worked out in dollars.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityWill Social Security Benefits Be Cut? What the Trust Fund Numbers Actually Say
The 2026 Trustees Report moved the retirement fund's depletion date to late 2032.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityThe $6,000 Senior Deduction vs. the Extra Standard Deduction for 65+
People 65 and older get two separate deductions: a permanent extra standard deduction and a temporary $6,000 deduction with an income limit. You can claim both.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityHow to Withdraw Retirement Funds Without Triggering Penalties
Many exceptions waive the 10% early withdrawal penalty, but some apply only to IRAs and others only to employer plans. None of them removes the income tax.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityWEP and GPO Are Repealed: What Public Pensioners Still Need to Know
WEP and GPO were repealed in 2025, with benefits owed back to January 2024.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityThe Social Security Payment Schedule Explained
Your payment date depends on your birth date, when you started benefits, and whether you get SSI.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityRetiring Mid-Year? The Earnings Test Has a Special First-Year Rule
In the year you start benefits, Social Security can test your earnings month by month.
Read more → Tax & Social SecuritySSDI Work Incentives: The Trial Work Period Explained
SSDI has its own rules for working: nine trial months with no limit on earnings, then 36 months in which each month's pay depends on an earnings threshold.
Read more → Tax & Social SecurityRailroad Retirement Board Benefits Explained: Tier I and Tier II
Railroad workers are covered by their own federal retirement system.
Read more →Social Security and taxes: the numbers that matter
Two questions come up more than any others: how much Social Security will pay, and how much of it the IRS will tax. The answers depend on when you claim, whether you keep working, and your other income. A few rules catch many retirees off guard: the earnings test if you claim before full retirement age, the tax on benefits once income passes $25,000 (single) or $32,000 (joint), and the new senior deduction that phases out at higher incomes.
| Figure | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2027 cost-of-living adjustment | 3.6%, starting with January 2027 payments |
| Senior bonus deduction (tax years 2025 to 2028) | Up to $6,000 per person 65 or older; phases out above $75,000 (single) or $150,000 (joint) |
| Extra standard deduction at 65 (2026) | $2,050 single or head of household; $1,650 per qualifying spouse if married |
| Social Security taxable on your federal return | Up to 50% above $25,000 / $32,000 of combined income, up to 85% at higher levels |
Where to start
- Deciding when to claim? Check your full retirement age, then read how to apply for retirement benefits.
- Still working? See how the earnings test and first-year rule work.
- Doing your taxes? Read are your benefits being taxed and compare the $6,000 senior deduction and the extra standard deduction.
- Had a government pension? The WEP and GPO reductions are gone. See what changed.