At what age is Social Security no longer taxed in the US?

Many people look forward to the day that they can retire so that they can sit back and enjoy their golden years. However, retirement doesn’t necessarily mean that you get to stop filing an annual tax return.

Americans that earn over a certain amount are legally bound to file a tax return with the IRS. The thresholds are adjusted each year to reflect the rising cost of living. You can check if you need to file a tax return on the IRS’s dedicated online page.

For Social Security beneficiaries there is another threshold that they may cross that will require them to owe taxes on the benefits that they receive. These thresholds were fixed in 1983 and do not take into account inflation.

So with each passing year, the automatic annual boost Social Security benefits receive through the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), recipients could end up having to pay taxes on their benefits, as well as any other taxable income that they receive, once their combined income surpasses certain thresholds.

Currently, according to a White House Council of Economic Advisors analysis, only about 12% of seniors 65 or older will have to pay federal taxes on their Social Security benefits after a $6,000 deduction was granted to them under the Republican tax bill passed in 2025.

A taxpayer’s adjusted gross income must be less than $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for couples. The deduction phases out above those thresholds until incomes go above $175,000 and $250,000, respectively, when no portion of it can be claimed. But that deduction will only be available until the 2028 fiscal year, unless Congress decides to extend it.

How are Social Security retirement benefits taxed?

There is no age at which you will no longer be taxed on Social Security payments. Since 1983, Social Security payments have been subject to taxation if the recipient’s earnings exceed a certain threshold. Note, some states began taxing a portion of Social Security income at that time as well.

So, if those payments when combined with your other forms of income, exceed one of the two thresholds, then you will have to pay at least federal taxes on either 50% or 85% of the benefits you receive.

Around half of Social Security recipients paid taxes on their Social Security benefits in 2021, before the $6,000 tax deduction was passed. But if it sunsets, that percentage is forecast to increase to 56% by 2050 under the current rules, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The federal government begins taxing 50% Social Security benefits, when gross income is at least $25,000 if you’re an individual or $32,000 if you’re a couple filing jointly. When beneficiaries’ gross income exceeds $34,000 for an individual or $44,000 for a couple, then up to 85% of your benefits payments will be subject to tax.

To calculate whether you are liable to pay tax on your Social Security benefits, you can complete the IRS’ “Figuring Your Taxable Benefits” worksheet, which you will find on page 7 of the Publication 915.

During tax season, all Social Security recipients will receive a Social Security Benefit Statement (Form SSA-1099) that details the full amount of benefits received. You can use this statement to calculate your liability for the tax season.

Note that while most states had stopped taxing Social Security benefits, eight states still do as of 2026. These include Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont.

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