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January 27, 2025
Question

Error in Social Security Income

  • January 27, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 0 views

The program allows me to add my Social Security Income but it’s not being calculated into my total income for tax owed calculation.  I think there is an error in the software because my Social Security Income does not qualify for an exemption.  I put a support call into your support line but it would only help if I got the upgraded  MAX version.  I find this extremely irritating since the problem isn’t a tax question it’s a software error question.  Please advise how this can be resolved or I might just stop using your product after decades of prior use.

 

Anne Cross

    5 replies

    VolvoGirl
    Employee
    January 27, 2025

    Up to 85% of Social Security becomes taxable when all your other income plus 1/2 your social security, reaches:

    Married Filing Jointly: $32,000

    Single or head of household: $25,000

    Married Filing Separately: 0

     

    To see the Social Security Benefits Calculation Worksheet  in Turbo Tax Online version you would have to save your return with all the worksheets to your computer.   Or if you are using the Desktop CD/Download Software you can switch to Forms Mode (click Forms in the upper right) and click on SS in the list on the left side.

     

    Before filing,  You can preview the 1040 or print the whole return

    https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/accessing/help/how-do-i-preview-my-turbotax-online-return-before-filing/00/26160

    atmccawwwAuthor
    January 27, 2025

    Yes my social security plus other income exceed $25000 as a single filer so it should be included in my taxable income calculation but it doesn’t.  Program bug?

    VolvoGirl
    Employee
    January 27, 2025

    It’s not that simple.  It’s a formula.  It’s when 1/2 of SS is added to your other taxable income part of SS MAY be taxable.  have you entered all your income yet?  

     

    You can try using the worksheet 703 on the back of the SSA-1099.  It can be complicated to figure out even though it looks simple.  Turbo Tax figures it all out for you.   Notice 703

    https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/n703.pdf

     

    When you enter 1/2 of your ss on line B it is not being subtracted from anything.  It is being ADDED to ALL your other income to see if any of the ss will be taxable to you.

     

    And look at your return to see how Turbo Tax is figuring the taxable amount on 1040 line 6b.   Do you have the full Social Security on line 6a?  And nothing on 6b?


    To see the Social Security Benefits Calculation Worksheet  in Turbo Tax Online version you would have to save your return with all the worksheets to your computer.   Or if you are using the Desktop CD/Download Software you can switch to Forms Mode (click Forms in the upper right) and click on SS in the list on the right side.

    January 27, 2025

    TurboTax will calculate the taxable portion of your social security based on the other income that is entered.  If you do not believe the calculation is correct, you will want to verify the other income entries to make sure they are correct.

     

    Social Security Income becomes taxable after your other income reaches a certain limit.  According to the IRS, your Social Security becomes taxable if the following situations occur:

     

    • single filers if half their social security added to their other income totals more than $25,000
    • married filing jointly filers if half their social security plus half their spouses social security plus their total other income totals more than $32,000, then part of their Social Security may be taxable.

    For more information on how Social Security is taxed, see the link below:

     

    @atmccawww 

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    February 1, 2025

    what number did you call. the whole Social Security calculator isn't working right. It is doubling up the amont.  When you erase the worksheet and attempt to use the step by step program, that doesn't work at all.

    March 20, 2025

    I used the free version of TT. I was surprised to see I was getting over $5k. Then, I knew why. Only 12k of SS were listed as taxable. I rationalized the tax law for SS must have changed.

    I wonder if this problem is with the free version only.

    Would Intuit even make up for this mistake?

     

    DaveF1006
    March 20, 2025

    It depends on the amount of your Social Security income in conjunction with your other income. Here's an illustration how your Social Security income is determined. 

     

    To determine this, the IRS considers 1/2 of your Social Security income combined with all other income. The thresholds for the combined income is as follows. 

     

    1. If you're single, and your combined income is:
    • Below $25,000: Benefits are not taxed.
    • Between $25,000 and $34,000: Up to 50% of benefits may be taxable.
    • Over $34,000: Up to 85% of benefits may be taxable.

            2. If you're Married Filing Jointly, and your combined income is:

     

    • Below $32,000: Benefits aren't taxed.
    • Between $32,000 and $44,000: Up to 50% of benefits may be taxable.
    • Over $44,000: Up to 85% of benefits may be taxable.
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    May 15, 2025

    I just got nailed for a $7,000 tax error in the IRS's favor because of a TurboTax flaw in my return. It incorrectly calculated the tax on my and my wife's social security income. The tax it calculated on my social security income was only a third of the correct amount. This was a painful error in the software. For what is charged for the software, this is inexcusable. Because of my RMDs, I am in a very high tax bracket, and any error like this can be financially painful.