How to Have Taxes Taken Out of Social Security Benefits

To have federal income tax taken out of your Social Security benefits, sign in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov and request withholding, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213, or fill out IRS Form W-4V and submit it to the Social Security Administration. You pick one of four flat rates (7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%), and SSA deducts that percentage from each monthly payment before it reaches you.¹

Do You Actually Need Withholding

Not every beneficiary owes federal tax on their Social Security. The IRS looks at your “combined income,” which is your adjusted gross income plus any tax-exempt interest plus half of your annual benefits.² Below $25,000 for a single filer or $32,000 for a married couple filing jointly, none of your benefits are taxed.

Above those floors, taxation ramps up:

Combined income between $25,000 and $34,000 (single) or $32,000 and $44,000 (joint): up to 50% of benefits taxable.
Combined income above $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (joint): up to 85% of benefits taxable.³

These thresholds don’t adjust for inflation, so more retirees cross them each year. If you draw a pension, take withdrawals from a traditional IRA or 401(k), or earn part-time wages, some of your benefits are probably taxable, and withholding lets you pay across the year instead of writing one check in April.

One boundary worth naming: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is not taxable and is not eligible for withholding.⁴ If SSI is the only payment you get from Social Security, there is nothing to set up.⁵ Withholding is available on retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, and it covers federal income tax only. SSA will not withhold state or local tax.⁶

Picking a Rate: 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%

Those four percentages are the only choices. You cannot write in a different figure or ask for a flat dollar amount.⁷ Picking the wrong rate is the most common mistake, and it usually means either a surprise bill at filing time or an oversized refund that amounts to an interest-free loan to the government.

The right rate turns on how much of your benefits will be taxed and what bracket your total income falls into. As a rough guide: if your combined income barely crosses the $25,000 or $32,000 floor and you have little other income, 7% usually covers it. If you’re solidly into the 85% band with significant pension or retirement-account income alongside benefits, 12% or 22% is more likely to match. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov can model your numbers. If you undershoot, quarterly estimated payments can close the gap.

Setting It Up Online or by Phone

The quickest route is your my Social Security account on ssa.gov. Sign in and you can start, change, or stop withholding from the dashboard.¹ If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one on the same page. No printing, no signing, no mailing.

You can also call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and request withholding by phone.⁸

Using Form W-4V

For the paper route, download IRS Form W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request) from irs.gov or pick one up at a Social Security office.⁷ It’s a single page.

Lines 1 through 3 take your name, Social Security number, and address. Line 4 is for your claim or identification number if it isn’t your own Social Security number. That comes up most often on survivor benefits, where the claim number belongs to the deceased worker’s record. Skip line 5, which is for unemployment compensation. On line 6, check exactly one box for your rate: 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%. Checking more than one box or writing in a different amount will get the form rejected. Sign and date at the bottom; without a signature the form is not valid.⁷

Where to Send It

Send the completed form to the Social Security Administration, not the IRS. It’s an IRS form, but the instructions are explicit: give it to the payer.⁷ You can mail it or drop it off at your nearest SSA field office; the office locator at ssa.gov has addresses. Processing can take several weeks depending on the office. Keep a signed copy, and check your benefit amount through your my Social Security account to confirm the deduction has started.

Changing or Stopping Withholding Later

Your election stays in effect until you change it or your benefits stop.⁷ The rate that fit at 66 may not fit at 72 once other income shifts. To adjust, use the same three channels: your online account, the 1-800-772-1213 line, or a new W-4V with a different box checked on line 6.¹

To stop withholding on paper, fill out lines 1 through 4, check the box on line 7, sign, and send it to SSA.⁷ If you stop but still owe tax on your benefits, you’ll need to cover the liability through estimated payments or at filing time.

When Estimated Payments Fit Better

The four rates don’t work for every situation. If your actual liability falls between the available percentages, or you have substantial non-Social Security income that also needs tax paid on it, quarterly estimated payments on IRS Form 1040-ES can be a cleaner fit. You can also combine the two: withhold a base amount from Social Security and top it up with estimated payments.

The IRS generally requires estimated payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more after withholding and refundable credits, and your withholding and credits will come to less than 90% of the current year’s tax or 100% of last year’s tax, whichever is smaller.⁹ For 2026, the quarterly due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, 2027. Miss a deadline and the underpayment penalty runs like interest on what should have been paid that quarter.

State Taxes Are Separate

SSA’s federal withholding does not touch state income tax. Most states don’t tax Social Security benefits, but a handful do, often with their own thresholds and exemptions. If you live in one of those states, handle the state side separately, typically through estimated payments to the state tax agency or by adjusting withholding from another income source such as a pension. Your state’s revenue department publishes the details.

Confirming What Was Withheld

Each January, SSA mails Form SSA-1099 (Social Security Benefit Statement) to everyone who received benefits the year before.¹⁰ Box 6 shows the total voluntary federal income tax withheld for the year.¹¹ That figure goes on your federal return and counts toward your total payments the same way employer withholding does. If you need the form sooner, you can download it through your my Social Security account starting in early February.⁵

1
Social Security Administration. How Can I Have Income Taxes Withheld From My Social Security
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Social Security Administration. Must I Pay Taxes on Social Security Benefits
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 86 – Social Security and Tier 1 Railroad Retirement Benefits
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Internal Revenue Service. Social Security Income
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Social Security Administration. Get Tax Form (1099/1042S)
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 3402 – Income Tax Collected at Source
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Internal Revenue Service. Form W-4V (Rev. January 2026) Voluntary Withholding Request
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Social Security Administration. Request to Withhold Taxes
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Internal Revenue Service. Form 1040-ES Estimated Tax for Individuals
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Social Security Administration. Get Your Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099)
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Social Security Administration. GN 05002.016 Social Security Statement – Box 6, Voluntary Federal Income Tax Withholding