How much Social Security is taxable with $20,000 of benefits and $20,000 of other income (married filing jointly)
Following IRS Worksheet 1, $0 of $20,000 in Social Security benefits is taxable for a married couple filing jointly with $20,000 of other income. That is 0% of the benefits, because half the benefits plus other income does not pass the base amount.
| IRS Publication 915, Worksheet 1 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Line 1: Social Security benefits for the year | $20,000 |
| Line 2: half of line 1 | $10,000 |
| Line 3: other income (pensions, IRA withdrawals, wages, interest, dividends) | $20,000 |
| Line 6: total of line 2 and other income | $30,000 |
| Line 9: base amount, married filing jointly | $32,000 |
| Line 18: 85% of benefits, the most that can be taxable | $NaN |
| Taxable Social Security | $0 |
What this means
The $0 is added to your other income on your federal return; it is not the tax itself. The tax depends on your deductions and your bracket. For 2027 the standard deduction at 65 and the separate senior deduction shelter a large share of income for many retirees.
The two thresholds
For a married couple filing jointly, benefits start to become taxable when half of them plus other income passes $32,000, and up to 85% can be taxable above $44,000. Tax-exempt interest counts toward these totals. Run your exact figures, including tax-exempt interest, in the taxable Social Security calculator.
State tax is separate
Most states do not tax Social Security; see the state-by-state table.
Check our work
Every figure on this page was read from these official documents. Follow the links and compare.
- Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement BenefitsInternal Revenue Service. Read on November 12, 2026.