1814.Annual Report of Earnings

1814.1Who must file an annual report of earnings?

You must file an annual report of earnings if you are:

1. A Social Security beneficiary (unless you are entitled to benefits because you are disabled); or

2. Receiving benefits on a beneficiary's behalf, if the beneficiary:

   1. Was entitled to Social Security benefits for the taxable year;

   2. Had not reached FRA in or before the first month of entitlement in that year;

   3. Had total earnings (wages and net earnings from self-employment) more than the yearly exempt amount; and

   4. Did not have all benefits withheld in the year for all entitlement months in which he or she was under FRA.

1814.2Who is NOT required to file an annual report of earnings?

You do not have to file an annual report for a taxable year that you (or the beneficiary on whose behalf you are receiving benefits) were not paid any benefits because of work and high earnings.

1814.3What happens if you are required to file an annual report and you fail to do so?

If you do not file an annual report or other information showing that benefits are payable for that year, benefits that might otherwise have been payable may not be paid after three years, three months and 15 days after the close of the taxable year. Be sure to file your report within the time limit in §1815.

1814.4What type of information qualifies as an annual report?

In 1997, we changed our rules so that, for reports due on or after April 15, 1997, we may accept the W-2 information reported by your employer. If you are self- employed, the self-employment tax information you file with the IRS is acceptable. We use the information in those reports along with other pertinent information on our records to adjust your benefits under the earnings test.

You may still report your earnings to us if you want to have your benefits adjusted sooner. Otherwise, we will adjust benefits based on the earnings posted to your record.

1814.5Who is responsible for the accuracy of the amount of earnings posted to your record?

We notify you of the amount of earnings used to adjust your benefits. However, you have the primary responsibility to ensure that the adjustment to your benefits was based on the correct amount of earnings. Be sure to notify us promptly if the earnings used were not correct for deduction purposes.