How to Fill Out Form W-4V for Social Security

To fill out Form W-4V for Social Security, enter your name, address, Social Security number, and claim number on the top of the one-page form, check the box on line 5 for Social Security benefits, check the box on line 6 for a withholding rate of 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%, then sign, date, and send the form to the Social Security Administration. The SSA processes your benefits, so the SSA, not the IRS, is where a completed form goes.¹

Getting the Form

Form W-4V, the Voluntary Withholding Request, can be downloaded from irs.gov, requested by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-3676, or picked up at a local Social Security office.² It’s a single page. Before you start, have your Social Security number and your claim number ready. For most recipients those are the same number, sometimes followed by a letter suffix such as “A” for a wage earner or “B” for a spouse.³

Filling Out Each Line

The form has seven numbered lines plus a signature block.

Lines 1 through 3: your full name, mailing address, and Social Security number.
Line 4: your claim number, including any letter suffix.
Line 5: check the box for Social Security benefits. The form also lists other payment types (railroad retirement Tier 1, unemployment, Commodity Credit Corporation loans, certain crop disaster payments, and Alaska Native Corporation dividends), but for Social Security you check only the Social Security box.³
Line 6: check one box for your chosen withholding rate: 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% of your gross monthly benefit. Only leave line 6 blank if you’re using this form to stop withholding.
Line 7: leave blank unless you’re canceling existing withholding, in which case you check this box and skip line 6.
Signature and date at the bottom.

If you and your spouse both receive Social Security, each of you files a separate W-4V. Withholding attaches to the claim number on the form, so one form cannot cover both spouses even on a joint return.

Choosing 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%

The form gives you four flat rates and nothing in between. You can’t write in a custom percentage or a fixed dollar amount.³

A rough guide:

7% works if Social Security is your only income and your total income just crosses the threshold where benefits become taxable.
10% or 12% is more realistic if you also draw a pension, take traditional IRA withdrawals, or have investment income.
22% fits retirees with substantial income from multiple sources, especially those whose combined income is well past the point where 85% of benefits are taxable.

The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on irs.gov handles Social Security and pension income together and can help you pick a rate before you commit.⁴ If none of the four rates lines up with what you actually owe, you can pair W-4V withholding with quarterly estimated payments to cover the gap.

Where to Send It

Completed forms go to the Social Security Administration. Sending W-4V to the IRS is the most common mistake with this form. You have three ways to submit.

Online

The fastest route is a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Sign in and use the withholding tool to start, stop, or change your rate, with the same four percentages available on the paper form.¹ You can create an account on that same page if you don’t have one. The online request skips the mail delay and leaves you with a digital record.

By Mail or Fax

Mail or fax the signed form to your local Social Security office. There is no single national address for W-4V. Use the office locator at ssa.gov to find the correct one for your area. Many offices also accept forms through a drop box.⁵

In Person

You can drop the form off at your local Social Security office. Handing it over in person gives you immediate confirmation that the office has it. Some offices require an appointment, so call ahead or check the SSA website.

Changing or Stopping Withholding Later

To change your rate, submit a new W-4V with the new percentage checked. The new form replaces the old one. To stop withholding entirely, fill in lines 1 through 4, check the box on line 7, leave line 6 blank, sign, and send it to the SSA.³ Your existing rate keeps running until you actively change or cancel it.

What Happens After You Submit

The withholding change usually appears in your benefit deposit within one to two payment cycles. Check your next couple of payments to confirm the right percentage is coming out. If your benefit hasn’t changed after two months, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.³

Each January, the SSA sends Form SSA-1099 showing your total benefits for the year and the federal tax withheld. The withheld amount is in Box 6, “Voluntary Federal Income Tax Withholding.”⁶ That figure goes on your tax return as tax already paid. If Box 6 doesn’t match what you expected from your monthly deductions, sort it out with the SSA before you file.

What W-4V Does Not Cover

W-4V is only for the specific payments listed on the form. If you receive a federal pension or annuity, that income uses Form W-4P instead, which is a separate form with different rules.⁷ W-4V is also not the same as the W-4 employees give to employers. Using the wrong form is a common source of delay, so make sure the payment you want tax withheld from actually appears on line 5 of W-4V before you send it in.

1
Social Security Administration. Request to Withhold Taxes
2
Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request
3
Internal Revenue Service. Form W-4V (Rev. January 2026) Voluntary Withholding Request
4
Internal Revenue Service. Tax Withholding Estimator Helps Retirees; Figures Tax on Social Security Benefits
5
Social Security Administration. Submit Forms and Upload Documents
6
Social Security Administration. GN 05002.016 – Social Security Statement – Box 6, Voluntary Federal Income Tax Withholding
7
Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-4P, Withholding Certificate for Periodic Pension or Annuity Payments