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Social Security Recipients Need Their Benefit Statement for Filing Taxes

Your benefit statement should have been mailed in January. Here's what it's for and how to request another one if you lost it.

Headshot of Blake Stimac
Headshot of Blake Stimac
Blake Stimac Writer
Blake has over a decade of experience writing for the web, with a focus on mobile phones, where he covered the smartphone boom of the 2010s and the broader tech scene. When he's not in front of a keyboard, you'll most likely find him playing video games, watching horror flicks, or hunting down a good churro.
Blake Stimac
2 min read
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Social Security recipients have to have this document to complete their taxes this year. 

Tax season is in full swing, and if you haven't already filed, it's time to get prepared to do so. Social Security beneficiaries might not have to file taxes this year, but whether you do depends on your circumstance. 

If you receive Social Security benefits and plan to file taxes, you'll need your benefits statement to complete the task. Below, we'll cover what the statement is used for, when you should have received it and how to request one if you don't have yours. 

This story is part of Taxes 2026, CNET's coverage of the best tax software, tax tips and everything else you need to file your return and track your refund.

And if you're worried about taxes this season, you're not alone. According to a CNET survey from February, nearly half of American adults (44%) have some type of anxiety about their taxes, whether it's concerns about making a mistake, fear that their sensitive information could be exposed or worries that they'll owe more than they'll be able to afford. 

For more tax tips, here are some hacks you can use to boost your refund in 2025

What's a Social Security benefit statement?

The Social Security benefit statement, also called the SSA-1099 (and SSA-1042S for noncitizens living outside the US), provides the benefit amount that you received in the previous year to report your income on your tax return. 

The Social Security Administration had been sending annual benefit statements to beneficiaries since 1999. Because Supplemental Security Income is not considered taxable income, SSI recipients will not receive a benefit statement. 

What is the benefit statement used for?

Social Security recipients whose primary income source is their benefits likely won't have to file taxes. That said, if you have additional sources of income, the benefit statement is used to determine what portion, if any, of your income is taxable. 

The benefit statement can help you determine whether any of your benefits are considered taxable. You'll reference this document when you do your taxes or provide it to a professional tax preparer if you go that route. 

When do you typically receive your benefit statement?

The SSA typically mails out benefit statements in January and this is how a majority of recipients receive theirs. Beneficiaries who've signed up for a My Social Security account can also view and download a copy once it's sent out. As of Feb 1, online copies are available for 2024. 

How to request another benefit statement

If you threw your benefit statement away or if it never arrived, you can request a new one directly from the SSA by calling 800-772-1213. 

If you'd previously signed up for a My Social Security account, you can log in and check out the documents available to you there, and print them out as needed. However, if you were to sign up today, there's a good chance that nothing will be available because it's a new account. If that's the case, reach out to the SSA using the number above to hear more about your options. 

For more, don't miss why Social Security Disability recipients might have to file taxes this year.

About the Author

Headshot of Blake Stimac
Writer
Writer

Blake has over a decade of experience writing for the web, with a focus on mobile phones, where he covered the smartphone boom of the 2010s and the broader tech scene. When he's not in front of a keyboard, you'll most likely find him playing video games, watching horror flicks, or hunting down a good churro.