Entering the repayment of social security benefits in Lacerte

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To enter the repayment of social security benefits in the program:

1. Go to Screen 14.1, SS Benefits, Alimony, Miscellaneous Inc.
2. Hold down Ctrl+E in the Social Security Benefits (SSA-1099, box 5) field.
3. Select Statement under the Print as section.
4. Enter the benefits received in the Amount column.
5. Enter the benefits repaid on another line in the Amount column.
6. Enter a Description for both amounts.
7. Select OK.

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To enter the repayment as an itemized deduction:

1. Go to Screen 25, Itemized Deductions (Sch. A).
2. Scroll down to the State Miscellaneous Deductions (Subject to 2% AGI Limitation) section.
3. Hold down Ctrl+E in the Other Miscellaneous deductions (2% AGI) (Ctrl+E) field.
4. Enter "SS Repayment Excess" in the Description column.
5. Enter the excess repayment in the Amount column.
6. Select OK.

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Calculating the repayment of social security benefits

These are a few options are different ways to handle the repayment of social security benefits. This information comes for the IRS Pub 915.

Repayments more than gross benefits

If your Form SSA-1099 or Form RRB-1099 shows that the total benefits you repaid (box 4) are more than the gross benefits you received (box 3), your net benefits (box 5) will be a negative figure and nontaxable. Don't use Worksheet 1 in this case.

If you received more than one form, a negative figure in box 5 of one form is used to offset a positive figure in box 5 of another form for that same year. If you have any questions about the negative figure, contact your local SSA office or RRB field office.

Repayments for a joint return

If your Form SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 has a negative figure in box 5 but your spouse's doesn't, subtract the amount in box 5 of your form from the amount in box 5 of your spouse's form to calculate your net benefits and figure out if your combined benefits are taxable.

Repayment of benefits received in an earlier year

If the total amount shown in box 5 of all of your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 is a negative figure, you can take an itemized deduction for the part of this negative figure that represents benefits you included in gross income in an earlier year.

Repayment of deductions more than $3,000

If your deduction is higher than $3,000, you'll need to configure your tax in two ways:

Method 1: Figure your tax for 2025 with the itemized deduction included on Schedule A (Form 1040), line 16.

Method 2: Figure your tax for 2025 using the following steps:

1. Figure the tax without the itemized deduction included on Schedule A (Form 1040), line 16.
2. For each year after 1983 for which part of the negative figure represents a repayment of benefits, refigure your taxable benefits as if your total benefits for the year were reduced by that part of the negative figure. Then, refigure the tax for that year.
3. Subtract the total of the refigured tax amounts from step 2 from the total of your actual tax amounts.
4. Subtract the result in step 3 from the result in step 1.

Compare the tax figured in both methods 1 and 2. Your tax for 2025 is the smaller of the two amounts. If method 1 results in less tax, take the itemized deduction on Schedule A (Form 1040), line 16. If method 2 results in less tax, claim a credit for the amount from step 2c above on Schedule 3 (Form 1040), line 12d. Enter "I.R.C. 1341" on the entry line. If both methods produce the same tax, deduct the repayment on Schedule A (Form 1040), line 1

Repayment of deductions $3,000 or less

If your deduction is $3,000 or less, it's subject to the 2% AGI limit that applies to certain miscellaneous itemized deductions. Claim it on Schedule A (Form 1040), line 23.

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