Social Security Taxable Benefits Calculator

Reading time: 2 minutes

Published: July 20, 2025
Modified: August 23, 2025

If you receive Social Security income, it’s important to understand how much of it may be subject to federal tax. This Social Security Taxable Benefits Calculator helps you estimate the taxable portion of your annual benefits based on IRS rules.

Just enter your filing status, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), any nontaxable interest, and your total benefits received for the year. The calculator will show how much is taxable, and how much isn’t, so you can plan your taxes with confidence.

Social Security Taxable Benefits Calculator Field Descriptions

This tool uses four required fields:

Filing Status

A dropdown with the following options:

• Single / Head of Household
• Married Filing Jointly
• Married Filing Separately (lived apart)
• Married Filing Separately (lived with spouse)

The IRS applies different thresholds for each filing status when calculating taxable Social Security benefits.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

• Description: Enter your AGI from IRS Form 1040.
• Reference: Line 11 of IRS Form 1040.
• Notes: This includes most forms of income (wages, business income, dividends, etc.) before deductions.

Nontaxable Interest

• Description: Enter any tax-exempt interest income you received.
• Reference: Line 2a of IRS Form 1040.
• Notes: This usually includes interest from municipal bonds.

Net Social Security Benefits for the Year

• Description: Total Social Security benefits received for the year.
• Reference: Box 5 of all your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099
• Notes: Use the gross benefit amount before Medicare premiums or other deductions.

How to Use the Calculator

1. Select your Filing Status from the dropdown.
2. Enter values (in dollars) for:
   • AGI
   • Nontaxable Interest
   • Net Social Security Benefits
3. Click Calculate.

Results Displayed

After clicking the Calculate button, two results appear:

1. Taxable Social Security Benefits: This is the portion of your Social Security income that is subject to federal income tax, based on IRS thresholds and formulas.
2. Non-taxable Social Security Benefits: This is the remaining portion of your benefits that is not taxable: Net Benefits – Taxable Benefits = Non-taxable Benefits

Understanding the taxation of Social Security benefits can be confusing, especially when reviewing the IRS’s official guidance ↗, which includes worksheets, formulas, and exceptions.

Want a clearer breakdown? Learn how Social Security benefits are taxed in more detail.

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