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Tax Day 2025: Social Security Recipients Might Want to File Taxes, Even if They Don't Have To

If you receive Social Security, you might want to file your taxes even if you don't have to. Here's why.

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Blake Stimac
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Your age, your marriage status and how much income you earn outside of Social Security benefits all have an impact on whether you need to file a tax return.

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Do you need to file a tax return if you receive Social Security benefits? While a majority of those who get a Social Security check each month do not need to pay taxes on their benefits, 40% of benefit recipients do, the Social Security Administration said.

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The Social Security Administration in August paid over $121.4 billion to almost 68.1 million beneficiaries, the Congressional Research Service reported. Since 1984, beneficiaries with income above a certain level may need to pay taxes. Your age, marital status and income earned outside of Social Security payments can determine whether you need to file. 

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Even if you're in that majority who isn't required to file, you might want to consider it anyway, as you may be entitled to a refund or qualify for tax credits for the year. Below, we'll help you find out if you'll need to file taxes for 2024. Also, if you receive Supplemental Security Income, you might want to consider filing a tax return for 2024 too. 

How do I determine if my Social Security benefits are taxable?

To find out whether your Social Security benefits are taxable, you'll need to identify if one-half of your Social Security benefits and any other income is greater than the base amount of your filing status. 

The IRS breaks down the base amount for filing status like this: 

  • $25,000 if you're single, head of household, or qualifying surviving spouse,
  • $25,000 if you're married filing separately and lived apart from your spouse for the entire year,
  • $32,000 if you're married filing jointly,
  • $0 if you're married filing separately and living with your spouse at any time during the tax year.

If you have other forms of income -- whether it's wages from another job, self-employment, interest, or dividends -- these should be included in your calculation. If you are above the base amount for your filing status and need to pay federal income taxes, the Social Security Administration will allow you to withhold taxes from your monthly benefit payments so you don't have to pay a large bill during tax time. 

A way to understand if your benefits are taxable is to look at your gross income, which is your total earnings for the year before taxes. 

You will need to file a return for the 2024 tax year:

  • If you are an unmarried senior at least 65 years old and your gross income is more than $14,700. 
  • If you are filing a joint return with a spouse who is also 65 or older and your gross income is more than $28,700.
  • If you are filing a joint return with a spouse who is under 65 years old and your gross income is more than $27,300.

Another way to find if your Social Security benefits are taxable is to look at your combined income, which includes your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest, and half of your Social Security benefits together. 

  • If you are a single tax filer and your combined income is between $25,000 and $34,000, the SSA says you may have to pay income tax on up to 50% of your benefits.
  • If you are a single tax filer and your combined income is more than $34,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 85% of your benefits. 
  • If you are filing a joint return and your combined income is between $32,000 and $44,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50% of your benefits.
  • If you are filing a joint return and your combined income is more than $44,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 85% of your benefits. 
  • If you are married filing separately and didn't live with your spouse last year, your Social Security benefits are taxed as if you were a single filer.
  • If you are married and filing separately while living with your spouse you probably will have to pay taxes on your benefits. 

On line 6b of Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR, you will report the taxable portion of your Social Security benefits.

Should I file even if I'm not required to?

If you're not required to file, you may want to consider it since you may be eligible for a refund. If you made estimated tax payments or had federal taxes withheld, you may be entitled to a refund of any surplus withholding. If you don't file, you may be leaving money on the table.

Another potential benefit of filing a return is that you may be able to receive certain tax credits, which can lead to a refund. As long as you meet the qualifications, you could receive the earned income tax credit, the child tax credit or child and dependent tax credit. The earned income tax credit is fully refundable if you don't owe any taxes. 

How can I find my Social Security benefit amount for 2024?

The Social Security Administration will send out a benefit statement that will detail all benefits received for the previous year. The notice is typically mailed to you, but in case you miss it, you can also find this notice in your My Social Security account. 

For more, don't miss the four ways you could lose your Social Security benefits and how much more money you'll get when the 2025 COLA goes into effect.