Are Social Security Benefits Taxable After Age 62?

Eligibility to collect Social Security benefits begins at age 62. Many seniors wait until a later age to collect larger benefit amounts. Whether Social Security benefits are taxable by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) depends on how much additional income the person filing taxes receives. Some states, though not many, assess taxes on benefits.

A senior whose only source of income is Social Security does not have to pay federal income taxes on his benefits. If he receives other sources of income, including tax-exempt interest income, he must add one-half of his annual Social Security benefits to his other income and then compare the result to a threshold set by the IRS. If the total is more than the IRS threshold, some of his Social Security benefits are taxable.

As of 2017, the threshold amount is $25,000 for singles and $32,000 for married couples filing jointly. Married couples who live together but file separately have a threshold of $0 and must pay taxes on Social Security benefits regardless of other income earned.

Most states do not tax Social Security benefits, but 13 do under certain circumstances. The states that tax Social Security benefits are Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia. Iowa used to assess taxes on benefits until it phased the taxes out completely in 2014, while New Mexico exempts some benefits for beneficiaries age 65 and over.