Social Security tax exemption

Older adults might wonder if Social Security is tax deductible. Social Security earnings are oftentimes exempt from federal income taxes. If you file as an individual and only get Social Security and other types of income that are less than $25,000 per year, you might be able to skip paying federal income taxes.

If your Social Security and other earnings are somewhere between $25,000 and $34,000, you only have to pay income tax on half of all your benefits. For married people filing jointly, the threshold for paying taxes on Social Security benefits is $32,000.

However, if you and your spouse jointly earn somewhere between $32,000 and $44,000, you might have to pay taxes on 50% of your benefits. For individuals or even couples who exceed the 50% earning threshold, 85% of benefits are taxable.