# Are American Social Security benefits taxed?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 6, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624 "2005-02-06T06:11:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624/1 "2005-02-06T06:11:03Z")

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My husband and I are trying to decide if we should continue with a 401K plan or go with a retirement plan that includes a state government pension and social security.

One of the things we need to find out is if social security is taxed when you retire.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624/2 "2005-02-06T07:23:15Z")

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Officially the answer is “Maybe”

[http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std\_adp.php?p\_faqid=493&p\_created=975936428&p\_sid=mh7D9oxh&p\_lva=&p\_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTA4JnBfY2F0X2x2bDE9MyZwX2NhdF9sdmwyPSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ\*\*&p\_li=](http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=493&p_created=975936428&p_sid=mh7D9oxh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTA4JnBfY2F0X2x2bDE9MyZwX2NhdF9sdmwyPSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=)

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624/3 "2005-02-06T08:01:24Z")

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SS is partially taxable at the higher brackets. Getting both SS and a retirement is a good idea. Belt AND suspenders. 🆒

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624/4 "2005-02-06T18:51:28Z")

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> [@BobT](#):
>
> Officially the answer is “Maybe”
> 
> [http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std\_adp.php?p\_faqid=493&p\_created=975936428&p\_sid=mh7D9oxh&p\_lva=&p\_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTA4JnBfY2F0X2x2bDE9MyZwX2NhdF9sdmwyPSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ\*\*&p\_li=](http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=493&p_created=975936428&p_sid=mh7D9oxh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTA4JnBfY2F0X2x2bDE9MyZwX2NhdF9sdmwyPSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=)

Bob T: Can you define “combined income” for an individual? Is that all my income, including salary, other retirement $, plus SS?

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-american-social-security-benefits-taxed/288624/5 "2005-02-06T22:10:39Z")

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> [@Ignatz](#):
>
> Bob T: Can you define “combined income” for an individual? Is that all my income, including salary, other retirement $, plus SS?

Yes, all taxable income, whether earned or unearned.

> [@](#):
>
> … wages, self-employment, interest, dividends and other taxable income that you have to report on your tax return). No one pays taxes on more than 85 percent of his or her Social Security benefits and some pay on a smaller amount, based on these IRS rules: