Social Security Taxable Benefits Calculator

First, find your 'provisional income': other taxable income + tax-exempt interest + half your Social Security benefits. If that's below $25,000 (single) or $32,000 (married filing jointly), none of your benefits are taxable. Above that, up to 50% becomes taxable; above $34,000 (single) or $44,000 (MFJ), up to 85% becomes taxable — but never more than 85% of your total benefits.

Unlike most tax figures, the $25,000/$32,000 and $34,000/$44,000 thresholds are NOT adjusted for inflation — they've stayed fixed for decades. This means more retirees owe tax on their benefits every year as regular income and cost-of-living adjustments push provisional income higher, even though the law hasn't technically changed.

Your AGI excluding Social Security itself — wages, self-employment income, interest, dividends, capital gains, pension and 401(k)/IRA withdrawals, and rental income all count. Add any tax-exempt municipal bond interest on top, since it's included in provisional income even though it's not taxed directly.

No — 85% is the maximum PORTION of your benefits that becomes taxable income, not a tax rate. That taxable portion then gets taxed at your normal marginal income tax rate, so the actual dollars lost to tax are much smaller than 85% of your check.

As of 2026, eight states still tax some Social Security income: Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont (down from a dozen a few years ago — West Virginia completed its phase-out for 2026). Most of these states exempt lower- and middle-income retirees via their own income thresholds, so check your specific state's rules — this calculator covers federal taxation only.