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How to Have Federal Taxes Withheld from Your Social Security Benefit

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Although you're not required to have federal taxes withheld from your Social Security benefit, you may find that easier than paying lump-sum payments out of your pocket.

To have your taxes withheld, you must:

  1. Complete IRS Form W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request).
    Note: This form is in Adobe Portable Document Format. If you do not already have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software, please see our instructions on how to access a Portable Document file.
  2. Select what percentage of your monthly benefit amount you want withheld either 7%, 15%, 28% or 31%.
    Only these percentages can be used. Flat dollar amounts are not acceptable.
  3. After you've made your selection, sign and return the form to your local Social Security office by mail or in person.
    To get the address of your local Social Security office, click here or call 1-800-772-1213.
If you want to know how much a particular percentage is equal to in dollars, call us at 1-800-772-1213.

However, if you have questions about your tax liablity or want to request a Form W-4V, call IRS at 1-800-829-3676. You can also obtain a copy of this form by clicking here.

Each time you want to change your withholding (or stop the withholding), complete the form and send it to Social Security.

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