Will withdrawals from my individual retirement account affect my Social Security benefits? (2024)

FAQs

Will withdrawals from my individual retirement account affect my Social Security benefits? ›

The simple answer is that income that you receive from your 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan does not affect the amount of the Social Security retirement benefit that you receive each month.

If you withdraw money from a traditional IRA, it won't affect your ability to claim and collect Social Security benefits. However, a traditional IRA distribution is considered taxable income, and can result in some of your Social Security benefits being subject to income tax.

Pension payments, annuities, and the interest or dividends from your savings and investments are not earnings for Social Security purposes.

You can take distributions from your IRA (including your SEP-IRA or SIMPLE-IRA) at any time. There is no need to show a hardship to take a distribution. However, your distribution will be includible in your taxable income and it may be subject to a 10% additional tax if you're under age 59 1/2.

When we figure out how much to deduct from your benefits, we count only the wages you make from your job or your net profit if you're self-employed. We include bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay.

For the earnings limits, we don't count income such as other government benefits, investment earnings, interest, pensions, annuities, and capital gains.

The simple answer is that income that you receive from your 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan does not affect the amount of the Social Security retirement benefit that you receive each month.

We'll have to reduce your benefits, however, if your earnings exceed certain limits for the months before you reach your full retirement age. If you work, but start receiving benefits before full retirement age, we deduct $1 in benefits for every $2 in earnings you have above the annual limit.

"A Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) can help you save on taxes in retirement. Not only are withdrawals potentially tax-free,² they won't impact the taxation of your Social Security benefit.

Withdrawals from 401(k)s are considered income and are generally subject to income tax because contributions and growth were tax-deferred, rather than tax-free.

At what age is Social Security no longer taxed? ›

Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.

You report the taxable portion of your social security benefits on line 6b of Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR. Your benefits may be taxable if the total of (1) one-half of your benefits, plus (2) all of your other income, including tax-exempt interest, is greater than the base amount for your filing status.

By age 59.5 (and in some cases, age 55), you will be eligible to begin withdrawing money from your 401(k) without having to pay a penalty tax. You'll simply need to contact your plan administrator or log into your account online and request a withdrawal.

Not working long enough is the most obvious reason someone wouldn't be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits. You must have a work history of at least 10 years to earn the credits you need to be eligible for Social Security as a retiree.

Social Security will take into consideration the amount of your assets, because it is a needs-based program. To be eligible for SSI, your assets must be less than $2,000 for an individual and less than $3,000 for a married couple.

Income is anything you receive during a calendar month and can use to meet your needs for food or shelter. It may be in cash or in kind. In-kind income is not cash; it is food or shelter, or something you can use to get food or shelter.

Taxes on Pension Income

You have to pay income tax on your pension and on withdrawals from any tax-deferred investments—such as traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and similar retirement plans, and tax-deferred annuities—in the year you take the money.

Do RMDs impact Social Security and Medicare? RMDs generally increase an account owner's taxable income. Certain Social Security and Medicare calculations can be impacted. For example, a portion of Social Security benefits can be taxed for those whose RMDs push them above certain income thresholds.

Do 401k withdrawals count as income for Medicare? The Medicare Part B Premium charged by the government changes based on your income. Taking tax-free Roth withdrawals won't affect this Medicare premium. But the distributions you take from traditional IRAs count as income for your Part B Premium.