5 ways to avoid paying taxes on your Social Security benefits

The recent federal tax overhaul changed a lot of rules, but one thing remains the same: It is exceedingly difficult to evade the long reach of the tax man.

That’s even true of Social Security benefits. Most people know that if you work while collecting benefits before your full retirement age, it can result in a reduced benefit. But earn too much money — even by simply making withdrawals from some types of retirement plans — and you also can end up paying income taxes on your Social Security benefits.

According to the Social Security Administration:

Whether or not you owe taxes on these benefits depends on your “combined income.” The SSA defines this as the sum of your:

• Adjusted gross income

• Nontaxable interest

• One-half of your Social Security benefits

If you file an individual return and your combined income is between $25,000 and $34,000, you may owe income tax on up to 50 percent of benefits. Earn more than that, and up to 85 percent of your benefits could be subject to taxes.

For those filing a joint return, the income range is between $32,000 and $44,000 for the 50 percent limit. Earn more than that, and the “up to 85 percent” rule kicks in.

Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your income and lower — or even avoid paying — taxes owed on your Social Security benefits. They include:

Consider withdrawing money from a Roth account

If you have socked away money in a 401(k) or traditional IRA, expect Uncle Sam to come calling during your retirement. After years of deferring taxes on those contributions, the bill is due once you begin making withdrawals on the money.

Unfortunately, these withdrawals will likely boost your income. For this reason, withdrawals from a 401(k) or traditional IRA probably put you at the greatest risk of having your Social Security benefits taxed.

One way to avoid such taxation is to withdraw only as much money as the government obligates you to do each year — known as the minimum required distribution — and to take any additional cash that you need from a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k), if you have one. Since no taxes are due on Roth distributions, these withdrawals will not impact your adjusted gross income.

However, there are many good reasons not to withdraw money from a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) — including the fact that you are not required to take minimum distributions on these accounts. This means you can defer taxes until your death, and even beyond if you leave the money to heirs.

So, consult with a tax professional before making this decision. A pro can help you to decide whether withdrawing money from a Roth account — or making a combination of withdrawals from both a Roth and a traditional 401(k) or IRA account — is the best strategy for you.

RELATED: Take a look at the average tax refund in every U.S. state:

Distribute your RMD to a charity

Giving money to charity is a great way to help make the world a better place. While doing good for others, you can also lower the odds that your Social Security benefit will be taxed.

If you are 70½ or older, you can take up to $100,000 of your annual required minimum distribution, give it to a charity and avoid income taxes on the money. This is known as a qualified charitable distribution.

Since the money is not taxed, it will not boost your adjusted gross income. But you need to be aware of some key rules.

For starters, the money must be directed to a qualified 501(c)(3) organization.

Also, you cannot use funds from a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan to make this type of distribution. There are ways around this — such as rolling over money to an IRA — but again, this strategy should not be used without consulting your tax adviser.

Think twice about taking a part-time job

Every dollar you earn doing part-time work can push you a little closer to owing taxes on your Social Security benefits. Of course, it’s silly to quit a job you enjoy — or need — simply to trim your tax bill a little.

But if the job is a low-wage pain in the neck that only provides you with a modest financial benefit, you might be better off quitting so that you can reduce your income for the tradeoff of lowering or eliminating taxes on your Social Security benefits.

Perhaps it’s also worth giving up some income — and income taxes — to get more free time. After all, a day on the golf course sure sounds better than greeting people at Walmart.

Reconsider purchasing municipal bonds

A lot of people turn to municipal bonds as a way to lower their tax bill. These types of bonds typically are not subject to federal and state income taxes.

However, municipal bond income is included in the formula that determines whether or not you will pay taxes on your Social Security benefits. As MunicipalBonds.com states:

Consider consulting with a financial adviser to help you determine whether municipal bond holdings might cause such trouble for you.

Delay collecting your benefits

Choosing to delay collecting Social Security benefits until your full retirement age — or even beyond — might be the simplest way to avoid paying taxes on your Social Security benefits, at least for a while.

Waiting to file for benefits also means you will get a bigger check each month once you finally do start collecting.

For more on the pros and cons of delaying Social Security benefits, check out:

• “Ask Stacy: Should I Wait Until 70 for Social Security?“

• “5 Unique Features of Social Security Income — and Why You Should Delay It“

Do you have more tips for sheltering Social Security benefits from taxation? Share them by commenting below or on our Facebook page.