Information about SSA-1099

Form SSA-1099 reports benefits you received under Title II of the Social Security Act. Other Form 1099-Rs have variations for reporting distributions (payments) from retirement benefit, annuities and other retirement plans and are entered in other areas of TurboTax.

Your net benefits (the part that may be subject to tax) are reflected in Box 5.

• If your benefit is combined with another person's on a single check, each recipient will receive a separate Form SSA-1099.
• If your benefits arise from more than one social security record, you may receive more than one Form SSA-1099.

Form SSA-1099 also reports any repayments you made during the year (in Box 4). Repayments occur when you receive more benefits during the year than you are qualified to receive, because of your income. What happens is that you have to repay those benefits the following year.

Also shown on Form SSA-1099 are Medicare premium payments made on your behalf. These would have been deducted from your benefits during the year. The amount you enter flows to the Medical Expense Worksheet as well as to Schedule A.

Form SSA-1099 is entered in the same area as the social security form. Your Social Security benefits paid to you are reported in Box 5.

In TurboTax, find this form under:

1. Federal Taxes tab (Personal Tab in Home & Business product),
2. Wages & Income button, click on Explore on My Own.
3. On the Your 2011 Income Summary page, scroll down to Retirement Plans and Social Security.
4. Click Start/Update next to the Social Security (SSA-1099, RRB-1099).

You can also find the Social Security Benefits screen by entering “ssa-1099” in the search box at the upper right area of your program and clicking Find.

On the Social Security Benefits screen, select Yes.

After entering all of the information from your form(s), select Continue to return to the Your 2011 Income Summary page.

Many states exempt social security and other government pensions from state income taxes.

• Some states allow a fixed or computed dollar deduction, or completely exempt some federally taxed pensions.
• Some states tax social security and RRB pensions the same as federal.
• Some states tax social security but not RRB.

For additional information about retirement plans and taxes, see these IRS publications:

• IRS Publication 915 (2011), Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits
• IRS Publication 554, Tax Guide for Seniors