Taxing Problem: Working and Collecting Social Security

“The first thing that you have to realize, according to [Michael] Kitces, is that you never get a net negative for working and collecting Social Security. ‘If you work and you bring additional earned income into the household, there is more money there,’ he said. ‘You don’t get to keep all of it, Uncle Sam will take a piece, and you may impact a couple other parts of the retirement pie as well, but it’s never a net negative’” from MarketWatch (March 21, 2011)

This article offers a densely packed discussion on the tax implications that arise from working into retirement while on social security, including issues related to the age at which social security is taken. Much attention is paid to the true meaning of the earnings test (and what it means to earn over $14,160), the potential of delayed credits, and the taxation of social security income for high-income recipients.