Which States Tax Social Security Benefits?

Eleven states in the U.S. impose some form of income taxes on Social Security benefits, as of tax year 2022: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont. The other states and District of Columbia don't tax Social Security benefits. Some states follow federal rules for determining the taxable portion of Social Security benefits, while other have their own calculations for how much of a person's Social Security benefits are subject to tax.

How States Tax Social Security Income

Here's a state-by-state breakdown. And below that, you'll find more information on the states that tax Social Security benefits.

State Social Security Tax and Exemptions

The 11 states below impose a tax on Social Security benefits to varying degrees.

Colorado 

Colorado's pension-subtraction system exempts up to $24,000 in pension and annuity income, including some Social Security benefits. The exemption is based on your age, starting at age 55.

Connecticut 

Connecticut partially or fully exempts Social Security benefits, based on a person's filing status and income. 

Kansas 

Kansas exempts Social Security benefits from state tax, based on the taxpayer's income. Your Social Security benefits are exempt from Kansas income tax if your federal adjusted gross income (AGI) is $75,000 or less, regardless of your filing status.

Minnesota 

Minnesota partially taxes Social Security benefits. The state allows a subtraction from benefits ranging from $2,725 for married taxpayers who file separately to $4,260 for single taxpayers, and $5,450 for married taxpayers who file jointly. The rule is subject to phaseouts starting at incomes of $82,770 for joint married filers, $41,385  for married taxpayers filing separately, and $64,670 for heads of household and single filers. The subtraction is less for these incomes and eventually phases out entirely as you earn more.

Missouri 

Missouri exempts Social Security benefits from state tax, provided that the individual is age 62 or older and has an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 if married and filing jointly, or $85,000 for all other filing statuses. Those who earn more than that might qualify for the exemption if they're disabled.

Montana 

Montana asks residents to use the Montana Individual Income Tax Return to determine the portion of Social Security benefits that's taxable by the state. That might be different from the federal amount.

Nebraska 

Starting 2022, Nebraska began phasing out taxation of Social Security benefits. The state allows a deduction for Social Security income that's included in your federal adjusted gross income if your federal AGI is less than or equal to $61,760 for married couples filing jointly, or $45,790 for all other filers.

New Mexico

Starting 2022, the state of New Mexico changed rules that now exempt most seniors from paying tax on Social Security benefits. This exemption is available to taxpayers with the following income thresholds: $100,000 for single filers, $150,000 for married filers filing jointly and heads of households, and $75,000 for married filers filing separately.

Rhode Island 

Rhode Island has an exemption on Social Security taxation for those who have reached full retirement age as defined by the IRS. Eligible taxpayers must have federal AGIs of $88,950 if single, or $111,200 if married and filing jointly.

Utah 

In late 2019, Utah adopted a sweeping tax bill that includes a tax credit for Social Security benefits that are included in a taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income. The AGI thresholds are $31,000 for married filing separately, $62,000 for married filing jointly, and $37,000 for single filers.

Vermont 

Vermont previously followed the federal rules for determining the taxable portion of Social Security benefits, then it adopted exemptions for taxpayers with incomes below $25,000 for single filers and $32,000 for other statuses. Benefits for those with higher incomes are taxed at incremental levels, with no exemption available for AGIs of over $55,000 if single or over $70,000 if you're married and file jointly.

How This Impacts Where You Retire

You could end up ahead anyway, even if you retire in one of the states that impose a tax on Social Security benefits if all other taxes in the state are favorable, such as sales tax, gasoline tax, or property tax. And you might still be subject to federal taxation on your benefits, even if you live in a state with no state-imposed tax. So consider all financial aspects of moving to another state, especially if you are collecting Social Security benefits.

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