Here's How Trump's Tax Bill Will Affect Social Security Taxes
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From an analytical perspective, On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the "big, beautiful bill" into law, marking his largest legislation to date. Market analysis shows analysis suggests that...
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July 18, 2025
05:48 PM
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From an analytical perspective, On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the "big, beautiful bill" into law, marking his largest legislation to date
Market analysis shows analysis suggests that law includes many visions, including some that affect Social Security recipients
Nevertheless, One aspect that has received a lot of attention is the impact on Social Security taxes, in light of current trends
Trump campaigned on eliminating federal taxes on Social Security benefits and has touted that this law does that, but that's not quite accurate
The new rules don't eliminate the federal tax on Social Security, but do offer a deduction to eligible individuals, amid market uncertainty
Nevertheless, Let's take a look at how the new changes will work
Furthermore, Image source: Getty Images, amid market uncertainty
How federal Social Security taxes work The IRS uses your "combined income" to calculate your tax bill
This includes the ing: Adjusted gross income (AGI): Your total income from all non-Social Security sources (remarkable data) (something worth watching)
Nontaxable interest: Interest income not subject to federal tax, such as from U
Treasury and municipal bonds (this bears monitoring)
Half of your Social Security benefits: 50% of your total Social Security benefits for the current year (noteworthy indeed)
Additionally, Once the IRS calculates your combined income, it uses the ing to determine how much of your benefits are eligible to be taxed: Income if Filing Single Income if Married, Filing Jointly Percentage of Social Security Benefits That Are Taxable Less than $25,000 Less than $32,000 0% $25,000 to $34,000 $32,000 to $44,000 Up to 50% More than $34,000 More than $44,000 Up to 85% Data source: IRS, in this volatile climate
The federal tax cess for Social Security can be confusing The percentages in the above table aren't how much your benefits are taxed, just how much is eligible to be taxed
Moreover, Conversely, The amount that's eligible to be taxed is added to other income you have and then taxed at your normal income tax rate, given the current landscape
To see it in action, let's assume you're married and filing jointly, and the ing are true: Your combined AGI is $40,000
At the same time, You earned $1,000 in Treasury and municipal bond interest
Additionally, Your Social Security benefits for the year add up to $20,000
On the other hand, In this case, your combined income would be $51,000 ($40,000 + $1,000 + $10,000), in this volatile climate
This means up to 85% of your benefits for the year ($17,000) are eligible to be taxed and will be added to your other income to be taxed normally
Additionally, Additionally, How does the new law affect federal Social Security taxes
Moreover, The law that Trump signed doesn't eliminate the federal Social Security tax, but it does offer a temporary deduction for some people 65 and older
From now until 2028, qualified people 65 and older will receive a $6,000 deduction ($12,000 for couples), amid market uncertainty
However, Additionally, To qualify for the full deduction, single filers must have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) below $75,000, and couples must have a MAGI below $150,000
Single filers with a MAGI between $75,000 and $175,000 and couples with a MAGI between $150,000 and $250,000 are eligible for a reduced deduction, given current economic conditions
However, Anybody earning over those thresholds isn't eligible
Un other types of deductions, you can claim this one whether you take the standard deduction or itemize your deductions (remarkable data)
Who will benefit from the new deduction, in today's financial world
Additionally, Most low-income individuals already don't pay federal taxes on their Social Security benefits, so this new deduction doesn't really affect them
High-income folks aren't eligible for the deduction, so it doesn't help them, either
Middle-income people stand to benefit
It's important to note that the federal tax rules on Social Security don't affect state-level taxes on benefits, amid market uncertainty
Additionally, There are currently nine states that tax Social Security benefits, so if you're living in one of those, make sure you're aware of your state's specific tax rules
Moreover, The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy, in today's market environment.
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