If your “combined income” exceeds specific annual limits, you may owe federal income taxes on up to 50% or 85% of your Social Security benefits.  The limits for federal income tax purposes are listed in the chart below.

The federal income thresholds are not indexed for inflation, so they are the same every year.  “Combined income” is defined as adjusted gross income plus any tax-exempt interest plus 50% of your Social Security Benefit.  Some states tax Social Security Benefits, whereas others do not tax them.  See the chart below:

About Michael……...

Hi, I’m Michael Ruger. I’m the managing partner of Greenbush Financial Group and the creator of the nationally recognized Money Smart Board blog . I created the blog because there are a lot of events in life that require important financial decisions. The goal is to help our readers avoid big financial missteps, discover financial solutions that they were not aware of, and to optimize their financial future.