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Social Security taxes depend on income

Not every person pays the same amount of taxes on Social Security benefits, as this depends on a person’s income.

If your total income is more than $25,000 for an individual or $32,000 for a married couple filing jointly, you must pay federal income taxes on your Social Security benefits.

The taxable portion of your benefits varies depending on your income level, which we explain to you:

File a federal tax return as an “individual.” and your income is:

• Between $25,000 and $34,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50% of your benefits.
• If you make more than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits may be taxable.

File a joint tax returnand you and your spouse have the following combined income:

• Between $32,000 and $44,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50 percent of your benefits.
• If you make more than $44,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits may be taxable.