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Summary of Provisions That Would Change the Social Security Program
Solvency Provisions

Description of Proposed Provisions:
Provisions Affecting Taxation of Benefits

Estimates based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2015 Trustees Report


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  Change from present law
[percent of payroll]		 Shortfall eliminated
Long-range
actuarial
balance		 Annual
balance in
75th year		 Long-range
actuarial
balance		 Annual
balance in
75th year
Present law shortfall in long-range actuarial balance is 2.68 percent of payroll and in annual balance for the 75th year is 4.65 percent of payroll.
H1 Starting in 2016, tax Social Security benefits in a manner similar to private pension income. Phase out the lower-income thresholds during 2016-2025.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Social Security Advisory Board) 		0.21 0.15 8% 3%
H2 Starting in 2016, tax Social Security benefits in a manner similar to private pension income. Phase out the lower-income thresholds during 2016-2035.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Warshawsky) 		0.19 0.15 7% 3%
H3 Tax Reform for Individuals: Starting in 2017, modify personal income tax by: (a) establishing two-brackets with marginal rates of 15 and 27 percent separated at $51,000 (CPI indexed); (b) creating a non-refundable credit for low-income tax filers age 65 and older; and (c) treating capital gains as regular income. Tax all Social Security benefits at the applicable marginal rate (15 or 27 percent) less 7.5 percent, with 60 percent of this revenue going to OASDI and 40 percent going to HI.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Bipartisan Policy Center) 		0.01 -0.03 0% -1%
H4 Increase the threshold for taxation of OASDI benefits to $50,000 for single filers and $100,000 for joint filers starting in 2017. Taxation of benefits revenues transferred to the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund would be the same as if the current-law computation applied.
graph | table | pdf-graph | pdf-table | memo (Larson 2015) | memo (Larson 2014) 		-0.12 -0.01 -4% 0%
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Last reviewed or modified September 14, 2015