Publication 915
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097911This appendix explains items shown on Form SSA-1099 and Form RRB-1099. Forms SSA-1042S and RRB-1042S, for nonresident aliens, contain the same items plus a few additional ones. These are also
explained.
 | The illustrated versions of Form SSA-1099, SSA-1042S, RRB-1099, and RRB-1042S in this appendix are proof copies of the forms as they appeared when this publication went to print. The information on the illustrated forms should be essentially the same as the information on the form you received from either the SSA or the RRB. You should, however, compare the form you received with the one shown in this publication to note any
differences. |
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097913Every person who received social security benefits will receive a Form SSA-1099. If you receive benefits on more than one social security record, you may get more than one Form SSA-1099. IRS Notice 703 will be enclosed with this form. It contains a worksheet to help you figure if any of your benefits are taxable. Do not mail Notice 703 to either the IRS or the
SSA.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097914The name shown in this box refers to the person for whom the social security benefits shown on the statement were paid. If you received benefits for yourself, your name will be
shown.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097915This is the U.S. social security number, if known, of the person named in box
1.
 | In all your correspondence with the SSA, be sure to use the claim number shown in box
8. |
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097917The figure shown in this box is the total benefits paid in 2012 to you (the person named in box 1). This figure may not agree with the amounts you actually received because adjustments may have been made to your benefits before you received them. An asterisk (*) after the figure shown in this box means that it includes benefits received in 2012 for one or more earlier
years.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097918This part of the form describes the items included in the amount shown in box 3. It lists the benefits paid and any adjustments made. Only the adjustments that apply to you will be shown. If no adjustments were made to the benefits paid, the word "none" will be
shown.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097919This is the amount you actually received or that was deposited directly into your account in a financial institution in
2012.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097920The following adjustment items may have been deducted from your benefits in 2012. If amounts appear on your Form SSA-1099 next to these items, they will be added to the amount shown in "Paid by check or direct
deposit."
| Do not reduce the amount of net social security benefits (box 5) by any of the items listed below. Use the amount in box 5 to figure taxable social
security. |
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097922If you have Medicare premiums deducted from your benefits, this is the amount withheld during 2012. The basic monthly premium in 2012 was $99.90 for most people, but it could be higher if you were a new enrollee in 2012, you enrolled after you were first eligible, you had a break in coverage, or the modified adjusted gross income shown on your 2010 federal income tax return is greater than $85,000 ($170,00 if married filing
jointly).
Medicare Part C, Medicare Advantage Premium, and Medicare Part D, Prescription Drug Premium, are other Medicare deductions you may have. These premiums may
vary.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097923If you are disabled and receive workers' compensation or Part C Black Lung payments, your benefits are subject to a payment limit. An entry will be shown here if your benefits were reduced to stay within this limit. An entry will also be shown here if your benefits were reduced because the person on whose social security record you were paid is disabled and also received workers' compensation or Part C Black Lung
payments.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097924This entry shows total payments withheld from your benefits if you are required to pay child support or
alimony.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097925Amounts withheld from your benefits because of work or to recover an overpayment of any type of benefit are benefits paid to you and will be shown here. They also may be treated as benefits repaid to SSA and included in the amount in box
4.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097926If you had an attorney handle your social security claim, the figure shown here is the fee withheld from your benefits and paid directly to your
attorney.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097927This shows the total amount of federal income tax withheld from your benefits. Include this amount on your income tax return as tax
withheld.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097928Part of your Title II Social Security benefit may be withheld on behalf of the Treasury Department to recover debts you owe to other federal
agencies.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097929The figure shown here is the sum of the amounts paid by check or direct deposit plus all the additions described
previously.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097930The following adjustment items may have been included in the payments you received in 2012. If amounts appear on your Form SSA-1099 next to these items, they will be subtracted from the figure in
Total Additions.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097931The figure shown here is the amount of benefits you received in 2012 that was for months before December 1983. These benefits are not taxable no matter when they are
paid.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097932The lump-sum death payment is not subject to tax. An entry here means you received this kind of payment in
2012.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097933The amount shown here may include Medicare premiums you paid in excess of the amount actually due. It also may include amounts withheld in 2012 to pay your attorney in excess of the fee actually
paid.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097934This entry shows nontaxable payments such as lump-sum death payments.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097935This entry shows benefit payments paid to you on behalf of a minor child or disabled
adult.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097936The figure shown here is the sum of all the subtractions described
previously.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097937The amount shown here is the result of subtracting the figure in
Total subtractions
from the figure in
Total additions.
This amount is the same as that shown in box 3.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097938The figure shown here is the amount of any lump-sum benefit payment received in 2012 that is for an earlier year after 1983. See
Lump-Sum Election, earlier, for a full discussion on how these payments are handled.
The figure shown in this box is the total amount of benefits you repaid to SSA in
2012.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097940This part of the form describes the items included in the amount shown in box 4. It lists the amount of benefit checks you returned to SSA and any adjustments for other types of repayments. The amounts listed include all amounts repaid in 2012, no matter when the benefits were received. Only the repayments that apply to you will be shown. If you did not make any repayments, the word "none" will be
shown.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097941If any of your benefit checks were returned to SSA, the total is shown
here.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097942taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097943This is the amount you repaid to SSA by direct remittance.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097944The amount shown here is the sum of all your repayments. This total is the same as that shown in box
4.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097945The figure in this box is the net benefits paid to you for the year. It is the result of subtracting the figure in box 4 from the figure in box 3. Enter this amount on line A of IRS Notice 703, or on line 1 of Worksheet 1, shown earlier, or on the worksheet in either the Form 1040 or 1040A
instructions.
If parentheses are around the figure in box 5, it means that the figure in box 4 is larger than the figure in box 3. This is a negative figure and means you repaid more money than you received in 2012. If you have any questions about this negative figure, contact your local SSA office. For more information, see
Repayments More Than Gross Benefits, earlier.
This shows the total amount of federal income tax withheld from your benefits. Include this amount on your income tax return as tax
withheld.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097948This form is for nonresident aliens. It contains the following four additional items that do not appear on Form
SSA-1099.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097949This is the rate at which tax was withheld from 85% of your benefits. If tax was withheld at more than one rate during the year, the percentage shown will be the tax rate in December 2012. The tax rate for most nonresident aliens is 30%. If you are a resident of Switzerland, your total benefit amount will be taxed at a 15% rate. The figure "0" will appear in this box if you were not taxed in December or if you were exempt under a tax treaty. Benefits received by residents of Canada, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Romania, and the United Kingdom are exempt from U.S. tax.
Under a treaty with India, benefits paid to individuals who are both residents and nationals of India are exempt from U.S. tax if the benefits are for services performed for the United States, its subdivisions, or local government authorities. See Publication
519 for more information on nonresident aliens.
This is the amount of tax taken out of your social security checks. Tax is withheld for any month in which you were a nonresident alien (unless you were exempt under a tax
treaty).
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097951An amount in this block shows any tax SSA refunded to you. When SSA withholds tax from your checks by mistake, they try to return it to you during the same calendar year. If SSA is unable to send the refund to you before the year ends, you must file a federal income tax return to get a refund of this
tax.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097952The figure in this box is the result of subtracting the figure in box 8 from the figure in box 7. This is the net amount of tax withheld from your
benefits.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097953This section explains the items shown on Form RRB-1099. Form RRB-1099 is issued to citizens and residents of the United States. If you received, repaid, or had tax withheld from the social security equivalent benefit (SSEB) portion of tier 1 railroad retirement benefits or special guaranty benefits during 2012, you will receive Form RRB-1099.
If you received, repaid, or had tax withheld from any non-social security equivalent benefit (NSSEB) portion of tier 1, tier 2, vested dual benefits or supplemental annuity benefits during 2012, you will receive Form RRB-1099-R, Annuities or Pensions by the Railroad Retirement Board. For more information concerning Form RRB-1099-R, see Publication
575.
| Each beneficiary will receive his or her own Form RRB-1099. If you receive benefits on more than one railroad retirement record, you may get more than one Form RRB-1099. To help insure that you get your form timely, make sure the RRB always has your current mailing
address. |
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097955Your RRB claim number is a six- or nine-digit number preceded by an alphabetical prefix and is the number under which the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits or special guaranty benefits were paid. Your payee code is the number following your claim number and is used by the RRB to identify you under your claim number. In all your contacts with the RRB, be sure to use the claim number and payee code shown in this
box.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097956This is the U.S. social security number (SSN), individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), or employer identification number (EIN), if known, for the person or estate listed as the
recipient.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097958The figure shown in this box is the gross SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits or special guaranty benefits paid to you in 2012. It is the amount before any deductions were made for:
- Federal income tax withholding,
- Medicare premiums,
- Legal Process Garnishment payments,
- Overall minimum assignment payments,
- Recovery of an overpayment, including recovery of Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act benefits received while awaiting payment of your railroad retirement annuity,
and
- Workers' compensation offset (explained in the description of box 6,
later).
The figure in box 3 is the amount after any deductions were made for:
- Social security benefits,
- Age reduction,
- Public service pensions or public disability benefits,
- Dual railroad retirement entitlement under another RRB claim
number,
- Work deductions,
- Actuarial adjustment,
- Annuity waiver, and
- Legal Process Partition payments.
| Social security benefits paid through the RRB are not reported on Form RRB-1099 or RRB-1042S. They are reported on Form SSA-1099 or Form SSA-1042S issued by the
SSA. |
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097960For the period January through March 2012, you received $300 ($100 × 3 months) Railroad Unemployment Insurance. You were eligible for the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits of $509 a month beginning January 1, 2012, but you did not receive your first payment until April 2012. The payment you received in April was for the first 3 months of 2012. However, because you received unemployment benefits during the same period, $300 was deducted from your initial benefit payment. Instead of receiving $1,527 ($509 × 3 months), you received $1,227 ($1,527 − $300). For the months of April through November, you were paid your regular monthly SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits of $509. Box 3 of your Form RRB-1099 will show $5,599 ($509 × 11 months) as the gross SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits paid to you in 2012, even though you did not actually receive that amount. This is because box 3 shows the gross amount of your benefits before any reductions were made for the unemployment benefits paid to
you.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097961You received tier 1 benefits of $600 a month for the months of December 2011 through May 2012. Your $600 monthly tier 1 benefits consist of an SSEB portion of $250 and a non-social security equivalent benefit (NSSEB) portion of $350. Beginning in June 2012, you became entitled to Medicare, and $99.90 a month was deducted from your benefit checks for Medicare premiums. Therefore, the tier 1 payments you received for the rest of the year were $500.10 ($600 − $99.90) a month. Box 3 of your Form RRB-1099 will show the gross SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits of $3,000 ($250 × 12 months), because it is the gross SSEB amount before deductions for your Medicare premiums. Box 11 of your Form RRB-1099 will show your Medicare premiums of $599.40 ($99.90 × 6 months) deducted from June through November 2012. The remainder of your tier 1 payments, the NSSEB portion of $4,200 ($350 × 12 months), will be shown on the Form RRB-1099-R that you will receive along with your Form RRB-1099. The $4,200 is the gross NSSEB amount before deductions for your Medicare premiums. (The
Medicare Premium Total
box shown on your Form RRB-1099-R will be blank because the Medicare total will
be shown in box 11 of your Form RRB-1099.) For more information on Form
RRB-1099-R, see Publication
575.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097962The figure in box 3 includes any lump-sum benefit payment you received in 2012 that is for an earlier year after 1983. If you received a payment for an earlier year, it will be shown in box 7, 8, or 9 (described later). See
Lump-Sum Election, earlier, for information on how to treat the payment.
The figure shown in this box is the total SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits you repaid to the RRB in 2012. You may have repaid a benefit by returning a payment, making a cash refund, or having an amount withheld from your payments. In addition, an amount may have been withheld from your benefits to recover the SSEB overpayment incurred by someone else who is also receiving benefits under your claim number. Also, an amount may have been withheld from another benefit, such as a social security benefit, to recover an SSEB overpayment you received.
The amount in box 4 also includes any SSEB benefits you repaid in 2012 that were for 2012 or for 1 or more years before 2012. All tier 1 repayments for years before 1986 are treated entirely as SSEB
benefits.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097964You returned to work for your last railroad employer for the months of June through August 2012. The SSEB portion of your tier 1 benefits was $450 for each of those months. Since you are not allowed to receive benefits for any month you returned to railroad service, you have to make a repayment to the RRB. You returned the benefit payment for June through August 2012. Box 4 of your Form RRB-1099 will show $1,350 ($450 × 3 months) as the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits you repaid to the
RRB.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097965From January through April 2012 you were overpaid $800 in the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits. From May through August 2012, $200 a month was withheld from your benefit payment to fully recover the $800 overpayment. Box 4 of your Form RRB-1099 will show $800 ($200 × 4 months) as the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits you repaid to the
RRB.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097966As a retired railroad employee, you have been receiving a railroad retirement annuity, including an SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits, since 2011. You also became entitled to, and received from the SSA, a social security benefit of $300 a month beginning May 1, 2012. SSA later authorized the RRB to pay that benefit. In August 2012, the RRB began paying your social security benefit to you and reduced the SSEB portion of your monthly tier 1 benefit by $300. Social security benefits of $900 ($300 × 3 months) covering the period May through July 2012 were kept by the RRB to offset your $900 SSEB overpayment for that same period. Box 4 of your Form RRB-1099 will show $900 as the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits you repaid to the RRB.
(Note.
SSA will send you Form SSA-1099, which will include the $900 in benefits paid by
them for the months of May through July 2012.)
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097967The figure shown in this box is the net amount of the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits paid to you in 2012. It is the result of subtracting the amount in box 4 from the amount in box 3. If you received more than one Form RRB-1099 for 2012, you should add the amounts in box 5 of all Forms RRB-1099 to determine your net amount of SSEB payments for 2012. Use this amount to determine if any of your benefits are taxable. See
Are Any of Your Benefits Taxable, earlier.
If parentheses are around the figure in box 5, it means that the figure in box 4 is larger than the figure in box 3. This is a negative figure and means you repaid more money than you received in 2012. For more information, see
Repayments More Than Gross Benefits, earlier.
The figure shown in this box is the amount you received in workers' compensation benefits during the year that was used to offset the full amount of your tier 1 payments. The SSEB portions of your tier 1 benefits shown in boxes 3 and 5 include amounts by which your SSEB payments were reduced for workers' compensation benefits. Your workers' compensation amount is shown in this box separately only for your information. If you did not receive workers' compensation benefits, box 6 is
blank.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097969For 2012, your tier 1 benefit of $450 a month is reduced to $400 because of a $50-a-month workers' compensation offset. Boxes 3 and 5 of your Form RRB-1099 will show $5,400 ($450 × 12 months) as the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits paid to you by the RRB. The $5,400 is the amount before any deductions were made for the workers' compensation offset. Box 4 will show zero because you did not make any repayments during the year. Box 6 of your form will show $600 ($50 workers' compensation × 12 months). In figuring if any of your benefits are taxable, you must use $5,400 (box 5) as the amount of the SSEB portion of tier 1 benefits paid to
you.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097970The figure shown in each applicable box is the amount of SSEB benefits paid to you in 2012 that was for 2011 or 2010. This amount is included in the amount shown in box
3.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097971The figure shown in this box is the amount of SSEB benefits paid to you in 2012 that was for 2009 and earlier years after 1983. This amount is included in the amount shown in box 3. Any tier 1 benefit paid for a period before 1986 is treated as
SSEB.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097972The figure shown in this box is the total amount of U.S. federal income tax withheld on your 2012 tier 1 SSEB or special guaranty benefit payments. This total is based on the amount of SSEB tax withholding requested on IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request. Include this amount on your income tax return as tax
withheld.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097974This is the total amount of Part B, Part C and/or Part D Medicare premiums deducted from your railroad retirement annuity payments shown on your Form RRB-1099.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097976This form is for nonresident aliens. It contains the following four additional items that do not appear on Form
RRB-1099.
Note.If your country of legal residence changed or your tax withholding rate changed during the year, you may receive more than one Form RRB-1042S. To determine your total amounts for the year, you should add the amounts shown on all Forms RRB-1042S you received for that
year.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097978The country where you maintain your legal residence is shown in this box. If you maintained legal residence in more than one country during the year, you will receive a separate Form RRB-1042S for each country of legal residence during the
year.
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097979The figure in this box is the rate at which tax was withheld from 85% of the SSEB portion of tier 1 or special guaranty benefit payments you received in 2012. If tax was withheld at more than one rate during the year, you will receive a separate Form RRB-1042S for each rate change during the year. The tax rate for most nonresident aliens is 30%. The figure "0%" or "15%" may appear in this box if you claimed a tax treaty exemption by filing Form RRB-1001 with the RRB. For more information, see
Nonresident aliens, earlier, under
Are Any of Your Benefits Taxable.
The figure in this box is the total amount of 2012 U.S. federal income tax withheld from the SSEB portion of your tier 1 or special guaranty benefit payments while you were a legal resident of the country shown in box 10 in 2012. If you received more than one Form RRB-1042S for 2012, add the amounts in box 12 of all Forms RRB-1042S to determine your total amount of U.S. federal income tax withheld from SSEB payments for 2012. Tax is withheld for any month in which you were a nonresident alien (unless you claimed exemption under a tax
treaty).
taxmap/pubs/p915-006.htm#en_us_publink100097981This is the total amount of Part B, Part C and/or Part D Medicare premiums deducted from your railroad retirement annuity payments shown on your Form RRB-1099.
See Publication
519 for more information on nonresident aliens.
| You should contact your nearest RRB field office (if you reside in the United States) or U.S. consulate/embassy (if you reside outside of the United States) for assistance with your RRB tax statement inquiries. If you are in the United States or Canada, you can call the RRB toll free at 1-877-772-5772. You can also visit the RRB on the Internet at
www.rrb.gov. If you have any questions about how to figure your taxable payments or what amounts to show on your income tax returns, contact the IRS.
|
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