Does Tennessee tax Social Security?
No state income tax
No. Tennessee has no tax on earned income, and the Hall tax on interest and dividends ended in 2021.
What the Tennessee Department of Revenue says
We do not paraphrase the rule from memory. This is the state's own wording, copied from the page linked below it:
“The tax is fully repealed beginning January 1, 2021.”
“However, Tennessee has no state income tax on earned income and therefore has no withholding requirements.”
Federal tax is a separate question
Even though Tennessee does not tax it, the IRS can still tax part of your Social Security on your federal return. Whether it does depends on your other income. Our taxable Social Security calculator follows the IRS worksheet line by line, and this guide explains the rule.
You can ask Social Security to withhold federal tax from each payment. State rules change with new laws, so check with the Tennessee Department of Revenue before you file.
Other states where the answer is “no state income tax”
Check our work
The answer above comes from these pages. Follow the link and compare.
- HIT-3: Hall Income Tax Repealed Beginning January 1, 2021Tennessee Department of Revenue. Read on November 12, 2026.
- GEN-34: Income Tax WithholdingTennessee Department of Revenue. Read on November 12, 2026.