Tax Year For December Social Security Payment

[Ian S]

If I start Social Security in say the month of December 2017, I know the payment will actually be made in January, 2018. So which tax year is the payment included in?

 

[gerntz]

The tax year is the year of the payment.

You don't receive a check the month following when you "start" SS unless your birthday is on the 1st or 2nd of a month. Payment is for the first full month of taking SS benefits & then gets paid the following month. E.g., you tell SS to start benefits in Dec. & your birthday is the 5th of a month, won't get a check till Feb.

 

[Ian S]

The tax year is the year of the payment.

You don't receive a check the month following when you "start" SS unless your birthday is on the 1st or 2nd of a month. Payment is for the first full month of taking SS benefits & then gets paid the following month. E.g., you tell SS to start benefits in Dec. & your birthday is the 5th of a month, won't get a check till Feb.

I thought all payments were for full months. So when I'm talking about starting SS in December, I mean December to be a full month so would that payment still be in February?

 

[braumeister]

You don't receive a check the month following when you "start" SS unless your birthday is on the 1st or 2nd of a month. Payment is for the first full month of taking SS benefits & then gets paid the following month. E.g., you tell SS to start benefits in Dec. & your birthday is the 5th of a month, won't get a check till Feb.

Alas, as with everything related to Soc Sec, this assumption doesn't always apply.

Or if it does, then SS made a mistake in my favor.

I did the "file and suspend" thing some years ago, and began to actually receive the benefit when I turned 70. My birthday was in the first week of the month, but later than the 2nd.

They not only paid me for the entire month, but actually sent the check (which was expected the 2nd Wednesday of the following month) in the last week of the birthday month!

So this points out that it's generally unwise to assume things when dealing with a government agency.

 

[audreyh1]

Isn't this why people wait for their SSA-1099 before filing taxes?