Taxable Social Security Calculator

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Taxable Social Security Calculator

This tool calculates the amount of Social Security that is taxable. Click this link for more help with this tool.

Filing Status

 

Lived with Spouse

 

Social Security

 

Income

 

Tax-Exempt Interest

 

Adjustments

 

 

 

 

Taxable Social Security

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Income Fields

Rather than entering taxable income in the Income field above, you can enter individual income values here. The sum of the fields entered here will replace the Income field above.

Wages

Taxable Interest

Ordinary Dividends

Retirement Accounts (taxable amount only)

Pensions, Annuities (taxable amount only)

Capital Gains

Self-employment Income

Other Income

Adjustments Fields

Rather than entering total adjustments in the Adjustments field above, you can enter individual adjustment values here. The sum of the fields entered here will replace the Adjustments field above.

Educator Expenses

Health Savings Account Contributions

Self-Employment Tax Adjustment

Self-Employed Health Insurance

Early Withdrawal Penalty

Alimony Paid

IRA Contributions

Student Loan Interest

Other Adjustments

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Filing Status

The amount of Social Security that is taxable is the same for all filing statuses except married filing jointly (MFJ).

Lived with Spouse

Check this checkbox if you lived with your spouse at anytime during the tax year. If your filing status is married filing separate and you lived with your spouse, the taxable amount of your social security is 85%.

Social Security

Enter the amount of Social Security payments you (and your spouse) received. This amount is on form SSA-1099, box 5 and also form 1040, line 6a.

Income

Enter the total amount of taxable income, except qualified dividends and Social Security. This is the sum of the following fields from form 1040.

  • 1040, line 1z Wages
  • 1040, line 2b Taxable Interest
  • 1040, line 3b Ordinary dividends
  • 1040, line 4b Retirement Accounts (taxable amount)
  • 1040, line 5b Pensions and Annuities (taxable amount)
  • 1040, line 7 Capital Gains

This amount should be the same as Total Income from form 1040, line 9, except with taxable Social Security subtracted out.

Alternatively, you can enter individual income values in the Income Fields below. If used, the sum of the income fields will replace the Income field here.

Tax-Exempt Interest

Enter the amount of tax-exempt interest. Even though it is not taxable, it is used to determine how much of Social Security is taxable. The tax-exempt interest is on form 1040, line 2a.

Adjustments

Enter the amount of adjustments here. Adjustments are expenses that can be deducted from taxable income even if you do not itemize deductions. Adjustments are on form 1040, line 10. However, when computing the taxable portion of Social Security, the following adjustments are not allowed.

  • Student Loan Interest
  • Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, form 2555, form 4563
  • Adoption Benefits, form 8839
  • U.S. Bond Interest Exclusion, form 8815

Alternatively, you can enter individual adjustment values in the Adjustment Fields below. If used, the sum of the adjustment fields will replace the Adjustments field here.

Taxable Social Security

This is the amount of Social Security that is taxable.

Taxable Percent

This is the percentage of Social Security that is taxable.

Income Fields

Rather than entering a single value in the Income field, you can enter individual income values in the Income Fields area. If used, the sum of the income fields will replace the Income field at the top.

Wages

Wages includes all earned income (payments for work). The tool does not currently support income from a small business, so you need to add business income minus expenses to wages.

Taxable Interest

Taxable (ordinary) interest comes from things such as savings accounts or U.S. Treasury bonds.

Ordinary Dividends

Ordinary dividends are non-qualified dividends. This means they are taxed as income because they are not qualified for capital gains treatment.

Retirement Accounts

The taxable amount from any withdrawal from a retirement account such as an IRA.

Pensions and Annuities

The taxable amount received from a pension or annuity.

Capital Gains

The amount of long term capital gains. Capital gains are gains or losses derived from the sale of investments. A loss greater than $3000 must be carried over to next year.

Self-employment Income

Self-employment income is the net profit from a small business, which is the amount of money a business has left after subtracting all its expenses from its total income.

Other Income

This is a catch all field for income not covered in one of the other fields.

Adjustment Fields

Rather than entering a single value in the Adjustment field, you can enter individual adjustment values in the Adjustment Fields area. If used, the sum of the adjustment fields will replace the Adjustments field at the top.

Adjustments

Educator Expenses

Educators can deduct up to $300 each for the taxpayer and spouse for unreimbursed classroom expenses. Educators may be a teacher, counselor, principal, or aide that worked at least 900 hours in a K-12 school during the tax year.

Health Savings Account Contributions

After tax contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSA"s) may be deductible from income. The total contributions to an HSA are limited to a yearly amount.

Self-Employment Tax Adjustment

Self-employed taxpayers can deduct half of their self-employment tax.

Self-Employed Health Insurance

Self-employed taxpayers can deduct their health insurance premiums for medical, dental, and long-term care coverage for themselves, their spouses, and their dependents. The amount of this deduction is limited to the net profit from the business; any excess premiums can be deducted as an itemized deduction.

Early Withdrawal Penalty

You may be able to deduct an early withdrawal penalty.

Alimony Paid

If you were divorced before 2018 and are required to pay alimony, enter the amount you paid during the tax year.

IRA Contributions

After tax contributions to Traditional IRAs, SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs may be deductible from income. The total contributions to an IRA are limited to a yearly amount and limited by income.

Student Loan Interest

You can deduct up to $2,500 for student loan interest you paid during the tax year. The same limit applies whether you are single or MFJ. This adjustment is not allowed when computing the taxable amount of Social Security, so it will be ignored in this calculation.

Other Adjustments

This is a catch all field for adjustments not covered in one of the other fields.