Examples The following are a few examples you can use as a guide to figure the taxable part of your benefits. Example 1. George White is single and files Form 1040 for 2001. He received the following income in 2001: Fully taxable pension $18,600 Wages from part-time job 9,400 Taxable interest income   990    Total   $28,990    George also received social security benefits during 2001. The Form SSA-1099 he received in January 2002 shows $5,980 in box 5. To figure his taxable benefits, George completes the worksheet shown here. Worksheet 1. Figuring Your Taxable Benefits 1. Enter the total amount from box 5 of ALL your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099    5,980   Note. If line 1 is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable. Otherwise, go on to line 2. 2. Enter one-half of line 1   2,990   3. Enter the total of the amounts from: Form 1040: Lines 7, 8a, 8b, 9-14, 15b, 16b, 17-19, and 21. Form 1040A: lines 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10, 11b, 12b, and 13   28,990   4. Form 1040A filers: Enter the total of any exclusions for qualified U.S. savings bond interest ( Form 8815, line 14) or for adoption benefits ( Form 8839, line 26). Form 1040 filers: Enter the total of any exclusions/adjustments for: · Qualified U.S. savings bond    interest (Form 8815, line 14), · Adoption benefits (Form 8839, line    26), · Foreign earned income or housing    (Form 2555, lines 43 and 48, or    Form 2555-EZ, line 18), and · Certain income of bona fide    residents of American    Samoa (Form 4563, line 15)    or Puerto Rico   -0-   5. Add lines 2, 3, and 4   31,980   6. Form 1040A filers: Enter the amount from Form 1040A, line 16 Form 1040 filers: Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 32, minus any amount on Form 1040, line 24   -0-   7. Subtract line 6 from line 5   31,980   8. Enter $25,000 ($32,000 if married filing jointly; $0 if married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time during 2001)   25,000   9. Subtract line 8 from line 7. If zero or less, enter -0-   6,980   Note. If line 9 is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable. (Do not enter any amounts on Form 1040, line 20a or 20b, or on Form 1040A, line 14a or 14b. But if you are married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for all of 2001, enter "D" to the left of line 20a, Form 1040, or to the right of the word "benefits" on line 14a, Form 1040A. Also enter -0- on Form 1040, line 20b or on Form 1040A, line 14b.) Otherwise, go on to line 10. 10. Enter $9,000 ($12,000 if married filing jointly; $0 if married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time in 2001)   9,000   11. Subtract line 10 from line 9. If zero or less, enter -0-   -0-    12. Enter the smaller of line 9 or line 10   6,980   13. Enter one-half of line 12   3,490   14. Enter the smaller of line 2 or line 13   2,990   15. Multiply line 11 by 85% (.85). If line 11 is zero, enter -0-   -0-    16. Add lines 14 and 15   2,990   17. Multiply line 1 by 85% (.85)   5,083    18. Taxable benefits. Enter the smaller of line 16 or line 17   2,990   · Enter the amount from line 1 above    on Form 1040, line 20a or on    Form 1040A, line 14a. · Enter the amount from line 18 above    on Form 1040, line 20b or on    Form 1040A, line 14b. The amount on line 18 of George's worksheet shows that $2,990 of his social security benefits is taxable. On line 20a of his Form 1040, George enters his net benefits of $5,980. On line 20b, he enters his taxable part of $2,990. Example 2. Ray and Alice Hopkins file a joint return on Form 1040A for 2001. Ray is retired and received a fully taxable pension of $15,500. He also received social security benefits, and his Form SSA-1099 for 2001 shows net benefits of $5,600 in box 5. Alice worked during the year and had wages of $14,000. She made a deductible payment to her IRA account of $1,000. Ray and Alice have two savings accounts with a total of $250 in interest income. They complete Worksheet 1 and find that none of Ray's social security benefits are taxable. They leave lines 14a and 14b of their Form 1040A blank. Worksheet 1. Figuring Your Taxable Benefits 1. Enter the total amount from box 5 of ALL your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099    5,600   Note. If line 1 is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable. Otherwise, go on to line 2. 2. Enter one-half of line 1   2,800   3. Enter the total of the amounts from: Form 1040: Lines 7, 8a, 8b, 9-14, 15b, 16b, 17-19, and 21. Form 1040A: lines 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10, 11b, 12b, and 13   29,750   4. Form 1040A filers: Enter the total of any exclusion for qualified U.S. savings bond interest (Form 8815, line 14) or for adoption benefits ( Form 8839, line 26). Form 1040 filers: Enter the total of any exclusions/adjustments for: · Qualified U.S. savings bond    interest (Form 8815, line 14), · Adoption benefits (Form 8839, line    26), · Foreign earned income or housing    (Form 2555, lines 43 and 48, or    Form 2555-EZ, line 18), and · Certain income of bona fide    residents of American    Samoa (Form 4563, line 15)    or Puerto Rico   -0-   5. Add lines 2, 3, and 4   32,550   6. Form 1040A filers: Enter the amount from Form 1040A, line 16 Form 1040 filers: Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 32, minus any amount on Form 1040, line 24   1,000   7. Subtract line 6 from line 5   31,550   8. Enter $25,000 ($32,000 if married filing jointly; $0 if married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time during 2001)   32,000   9. Subtract line 8 from line 7. If zero or less, enter -0-   -0-   Note. If line 9 is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable. (Do not enter any amounts on Form 1040, line 20a or 20b, or on Form 1040A, line 14a or 14b. But if you are married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for all of 2001, enter "D" to the left of line 20a, Form 1040, or to the right of the word "benefits" on line 14a, Form 1040A. Also enter -0- on Form 1040, line 20b or on Form 1040A, line 14b.) Otherwise, go on to line 10. 10. Enter $9,000 ($12,000 if married filing jointly; $0 if married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time in 2001)      11. Subtract line 10 from line 9. If zero or less, enter -0-      12. Enter the smaller of line 9 or line 10      13. Enter one-half of line 12      14. Enter the smaller of line 2 or line 13      15. Multiply line 11 by 85% (.85). If line 11 is zero, enter -0-      16. Add lines 14 and 15      17. Multiply line 1 by 85% (.85)      18. Taxable benefits. Enter the smaller of line 16 or line 17      · Enter the amount from line 1 above    on Form 1040, line 20a or on    Form 1040A, line 14a. · Enter the amount from line 18 above    on Form 1040, line 20b or on    Form 1040A, line 14b. Example 3. Joe and Betty Johnson file a joint return on Form 1040 for 2001. Joe is a retired railroad worker and in 2001 received the social security equivalent benefit (SSEB) portion of tier 1 railroad retirement benefits. Joe's Form RRB-1099 shows $10,000 in box 5. Betty is a retired government worker and receives a fully taxable pension of $38,000. They had $2,300 in interest income plus interest of $200 on a qualified U.S. savings bond. The savings bond interest qualified for the exclusion. Thus, they have a total income of $40,300 ($38,000 + $2,300). They figure their taxable benefits by completing Worksheet 1. Worksheet 1. Figuring Your Taxable Benefits 1. Enter the total amount from box 5 of ALL your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099    10,000   Note. If line 1 is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable. Otherwise, go on to line 2. 2. Enter one-half of line 1   5,000   3. Enter the total of the amounts from: Form 1040: Lines 7, 8a, 8b, 9-14, 15b, 16b, 17-19, and 21. Form 1040A: lines 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10, 11b, 12b, and 13   40,300   4. Form 1040A filers: Enter the total of any exclusion for qualified U.S. savings bond interest (Form 8815, line 14) or for adoption benefits (Form 8839, line 26). Form 1040 filers: Enter the total of any exclusions/adjustments for: · Qualified U.S. savings bond    interest (Form 8815, line 14), · Adoption benefits (Form 8839, line    26), · Foreign earned income or housing    (Form 2555, lines 43 and 48, or    Form 2555-EZ, line 18), and · Certain income of bona fide    residents of American    Samoa (Form 4563, line 15)    or Puerto Rico   200   5. Add lines 2, 3, and 4   45,500   6. Form 1040A filers: Enter the amount from Form 1040A, line 16 Form 1040 filers: Enter the amount from Form 1040, line 32, minus any amount on Form 1040, line 24   -0-   7. Subtract line 6 from line 5   45,500   8. Enter $25,000 ($32,000 if married filing jointly; $0 if married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time during 2001)   32,000   9. Subtract line 8 from line 7. If zero or less, enter -0-   13,500   Note. If line 9 is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable. (Do not enter any amounts on Form 1040, line 20a or 20b, or on Form 1040A, line 14a or 14b. But if you are married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for all of 2001, enter "D" to the left of line 20a, Form 1040, or to the right of the word "benefits" on line 14a, Form 1040A. Also enter -0- on Form 1040, line 20b or on Form 1040A, line 14b.) Otherwise, go on to line 10. 10. Enter $9,000 ($12,000 if married filing jointly; $0 if married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time in 2001)   12,000   11. Subtract line 10 from line 9. If zero or less, enter -0-   1,500   12. Enter the smaller of line 9 or line 10   12,000   13. Enter one-half of line 12   6,000   14. Enter the smaller of line 2 or line 13   5,000   15. Multiply line 11 by 85% (.85). If line 11 is zero, enter -0-   1,275   16. Add lines 14 and 15   6,275   17. Multiply line 1 by 85% (.85)   8,500   18. Taxable benefits. Enter the smaller of line 16 or line 17   6,275   · Enter the amount from line 1 above    on Form 1040, line 20a or on    Form 1040A, line 14a. · Enter the amount from line 18 above    on Form 1040, line 20b or on    Form 1040A, line 14b. More than 50% of Joe's net benefits are taxable because the income on line 7 of the worksheet ($45,500) is more than $44,000. Joe and Betty enter $10,000 on line 20a, Form 1040, and $6,275 on line 20b, Form 1040.