AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA AAPL TSLA AMZN META AMD NVDA PEP COST ADBE GOOG AMGN HON INTC INTU NFLX ADP SBUX MRNA Markets A Surprise Social Security Tax Bill Could Be Waiting for You in Retirement. Here's How to Avoid It. March 14, 2026 — 04:28 am EDT Written by Maurie Backman for The Motley Fool -> Key Points Many seniors are shocked to learn that Social Security benefits can be taxable. The less taxable income you have, the more likely you are to keep more of your benefits. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › A lot of people expect to start collecting Social Security once they retire. But if you're assuming you'll get to keep your monthly benefits in full, you may want to rethink that. Many retirees don't realize that Social Security benefits can be subject to federal taxes. And the thing that determines whether your benefits are taxed is something called combined or provisional income. Let's review what that is -- and the steps you can take to lower yours and keep more of your Social Security for yourself. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Image source: Getty Images. How taxes on Social Security benefits work Whether you're subject to taxes on Social Security or not depends on something called your combined or provisional income. It's calculated by taking the total of your adjusted gross income, tax-free income, and 50% of the Social Security benefits you receive each year. If your combined or provisional income exceeds $25,000 as a single tax filer or $32,000 as a joint tax filer, you could face taxes on up to 50% of your Social Security benefits. If your combined or provisional income exceeds $34,000 as a single tax filer or $44,000 as a joint filer, you could face taxes on up to 85% of your Social Security benefits. These limits are not indexed to inflation, so they don't increase every year the same way Social Security's cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) or yearly wage caps do. How to reduce your chances of having your Social Security benefits taxed If you don't like the idea of paying taxes on your Social Security benefits, it's important to know that these common income streams could make those taxes more likely: Withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s Required minimum distributions (RMDs) Capital gains from investments If you want to reduce the likelihood of having your Social Security checks taxed, here are some things you can do: Save in a Roth IRA or 401(k) during your working years, since Roth withdrawals don't count toward combined or provisional income. Do Roth conversions before claiming Social Security. Spread out withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts to keep your income below the above thresholds. Be strategic with capital gains and space out the sale of assets. Of course, avoiding taxes on Social Security isn't always possible. If you've saved a lot of money in a traditional retirement account and don't have an opportunity to do a Roth conversion, you may inevitably end up having your benefits taxed once RMDs begin. But it's important to understand why some retirees pay taxes on their Social Security so you can either take steps to avoid that or know how to plan for those taxes accordingly. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more ... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies. View the "Social Security secrets" » The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. Tags Markets The Motley Fool Founded in 1993 in Alexandria, VA., by brothers David and Tom Gardner, The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company dedicated to building the world's greatest investment community. Reaching millions of people each month through its website, books, newspaper column, radio show, television appearances, and subscription newsletter services, The Motley Fool champions shareholder values and advocates tirelessly for the individual investor. The company's name was taken from Shakespeare, whose wise fools both instructed and amused, and could speak the truth to the king -- without getting their heads lopped off. Visit Fool.com fo