How to Stop Federal Tax Withholding From Social Security

You can stop federal tax withholding from Social Security at any time, either through your mySocialSecurity account online or by sending IRS Form W-4V to your local Social Security office with the stop-withholding box checked.¹ Withholding on benefits is voluntary, so no explanation or approval is required. The change typically takes one to two payment cycles to show up in your deposit.

This works for Social Security retirement, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and survivor benefits.² Supplemental Security Income is different: SSI payments aren’t taxable and the withholding system doesn’t apply to them, so there’s nothing to turn off.³

Stop It Online Through mySocialSecurity

The quickest method is the tax withholding section inside your mySocialSecurity account on ssa.gov. Sign in, open the withholding tool, and submit the change electronically.⁴ The same tool lets you switch to a different rate later if you change your mind, without any paper.¹

Stop It by Mail With Form W-4V

If you’d rather use paper, or you don’t have a mySocialSecurity account, download the current revision of Form W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request) from the IRS website.⁵

Complete Lines 1 through 4 with your name, Social Security number, and claim number. Your claim number is usually your own Social Security number, but if you receive benefits on someone else’s record it will include a letter or letter-number suffix identifying the type of benefit. To stop withholding entirely, check the box on Line 7, then sign and date the form.⁶

Send the completed form to your local Social Security office. You can mail it or drop it off in person; the office locator on ssa.gov will find the nearest one. Watch your next one or two deposits to confirm the change went through. If withholding hasn’t stopped after two months, call or visit the office to check on the status.

Check Whether Your Benefits Are Taxable First

Before turning withholding off, make sure you know whether you’ll actually owe anything. The IRS taxes Social Security based on your “combined income” — adjusted gross income, plus any tax-exempt interest, plus half of your Social Security benefits for the year.⁷ The statutory thresholds are:

Single filers: benefits are not taxable below $25,000 of combined income. Between $25,000 and $34,000, up to 50% of benefits are taxable. Above $34,000, up to 85% can be taxed.⁸
Married filing jointly: not taxable below $32,000. Between $32,000 and $44,000, up to 50% is taxable. Above $44,000, up to 85% can be taxed.⁸
Married filing separately while living with your spouse: the base amount is $0, so up to 85% of benefits can be taxed on almost any amount of other income.⁸

If Social Security is your only income, your combined income is just half your benefit amount, which almost always falls below the $25,000 threshold. Stopping withholding makes clear sense in that case because no federal tax will be due. Retirees with pensions, investment income, or part-time wages are the ones who need to run the numbers before shutting withholding off.

If your benefits are taxable but the current withholding is heavier than you need, you have a middle option instead of stopping entirely. The paper form and the online tool both offer four fixed rates: 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% of each monthly payment; custom percentages aren’t allowed.⁶ On the paper form, choose one on Line 6 rather than checking Line 7.

If You’ll Still Owe Tax, Plan for Estimated Payments

Federal tax is pay-as-you-go. Stopping withholding when you still owe tax on your benefits can trigger an underpayment penalty unless you cover the shortfall another way.⁹ Most people who go this route use quarterly estimated payments on Form 1040-ES. For 2026, the due dates are April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, 2027.¹⁰

You generally avoid the penalty if your total payments for the year meet one of these safe harbors:

Your balance due after payments and credits is less than $1,000.
You pay at least 90% of the tax owed for the current year.
You pay at least 100% of the total tax shown on last year’s return. That rises to 110% if your prior-year adjusted gross income was over $150,000, or over $75,000 if married filing separately.⁹

If you or a spouse also draws a pension, increasing pension withholding is another way to cover the tax on Social Security without dealing with quarterly vouchers.

State Withholding Is Separate

Form W-4V controls federal withholding only.⁶ Eight states still tax Social Security benefits to some degree: Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont. If you live in one of them, stopping federal withholding doesn’t touch your state obligation, and each state has its own exemptions and thresholds. Contact your state tax agency to find out what applies to you.

1
Social Security Administration. Request to Withhold Taxes
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 3402 – Income Tax Collected at Source – Section: (p) Voluntary Withholding Agreements
3
Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 423, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits
4
Social Security Administration. How Can I Have Income Taxes Withheld From My Social Security Benefits
5
Internal Revenue Service. About Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request
6
Internal Revenue Service. Form W-4V (Rev. January 2026) Voluntary Withholding Request
7
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 915 (2025), Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 86 – Social Security and Tier 1 Railroad Retirement Benefits
9
Internal Revenue Service. Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals Penalty
10
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 (2026), Tax Calendars