Maximizing Social Security Benefits: Penalty for Early Claiming, State Taxes, Benefit Base and More
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a variety of benefits to millions of retirees, but the amount of benefits they receive depends on a variety of factors. For instance, when a retiree claims benefits early, there is a penalty, which can be as much as a 30% haircut on the primary insurance amount (PIA).[0] This amount is based on the number of years worked and taxes paid, and for the maximum benefit, retirees must earn — and therefore pay taxes on — the maximum amount of wages that the SSA can tax each year, a number known as the benefit base.
In addition to the penalty for claiming benefits early, a minority of states also tax Social Security benefits in at least some circumstances.[1] These states include New Mexico and Mexico, and they may tax benefits if a retiree's combined income, which includes half of their Social Security benefits and other forms of income, exceeds a certain threshold.[2] This means that if a retiree is in a higher tax bracket, they could end up paying taxes on 50% or even 85% of their benefits.[2]
If you want to maximize your Social Security benefits, you can do so by increasing your average earnings in the years included in your benefits calculation. This means that you should try to increase your income throughout your career, as the Social Security taxes you pay on those earnings will ultimately come back to you and help bankroll your retirement. You can also increase your AIME by working longer than 35 years, as each extra year you work at a higher salary will replace one of your earlier years of low earnings when benefits are calculated.[3]
Finally, you should also be aware of the benefit base, which is the maximum amount of wages that the SSA can tax each year. This number often increases to keep up with inflation, so you'll want to stay on top of it.[0] If you have multiple W-2s in a given year, it's important to make sure that you don't end up paying Social Security taxes on income above the taxable maximum. If you do, you may be able to get some of that money back when you file your taxes.
0. “How to Score an Extra $1,983 Per Social Security Check” msnNOW, 19 Mar. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/how-to-score-an-extra-dollar1983-per-social-security-check/ar-AA18O4oI?li=BBnb7Kz
1. “Should Social Security Taxes Be Adjusted for Inflation Too? Why COLAs Are Hurting Seniors at Tax Time” AOL, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.aol.com/social-security-taxes-adjusted-inflation-165308947.html
2. “4 Social Security Strategies to Bankroll Your Retirement” The Motley Fool, 18 Mar. 2023, https://www.fool.com/retirement/2023/03/18/social-security-strategies-to-bankroll-retirement/
3. “Get More of the Social Security You Deserve With These 3 Strategies” Nasdaq, 14 Mar. 2023, https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/get-more-of-the-social-security-you-deserve-with-these-3-strategies-7
