2025 Bills Look to End the 'Double-Tax' of Social Security Benefits
10 min read
If you rely on Social Security benefits, you might be paying a double tax without realizing it. Under current law, a portion of your benefits is considered taxable income — even though you already paid taxes on this money when you earned it. This system, which has been in place for decades, means that retirees with modest incomes can still end up owing federal taxes on the very benefits they rely on to make ends meet.
Right now, up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be taxed for individuals earning more than $25,000 per year and couples earning more than $32,000. These income thresholds haven’t changed since 1984, despite rising costs of living.
But now, at the beginning of 2025, lawmakers are considering reforms that could reduce or eliminate this double taxation. Two new bills in Congress — the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act and the RETIREES FIRST Act — propose different ways to ease the tax burden on retirees. We’ll tell you what’s in these bills, how they’re similar and different, what’s at stake, and how these proposals could impact your Social Security income.
To keep up on all the benefits news that affects you, sign up for a free account on BenefitKarma.
Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act was originally introduced in the House of Representatives in 2023, during the 118th Congress, but has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives during the current session.
The bill proposes a bold overhaul of how Social Security benefits are taxed. Its primary goal? To completely eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits — a move that would put more money directly into the hands of retirees.
Key Provisions:
Full Repeal of Social Security Benefit Taxes: The bill seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by adding a new subsection to Section 86, which would terminate the taxation of Social Security benefits entirely. If passed, this change would apply to all taxable years following the bill’s enactment, meaning retirees would immediately see relief on their tax bills.
Protecting Social Security Trust Funds: To prevent any financial shortfalls in the Social Security and Railroad Retirement trust funds, the bill includes a provision ensuring that any lost tax revenue would be replaced. It mandates that the U.S. Treasury allocate funds each year to compensate for the reduction in transfers caused by the elimination of benefit taxation.
No New Taxes: A key component of the bill is its commitment to avoiding tax hikes elsewhere. The legislation explicitly states that Congress would not raise taxes to offset the revenue loss from ending Social Security benefit taxation. Instead, the federal government would need to find alternative sources of funding or adjust spending to accommodate the change.
RETIREES FIRST Act
Taking a more reserved approach, the RETIREES FIRST Act, introduced in the Senate in early 2025, aims to reform — rather than eliminate — Social Security taxation. This bill raises the income thresholds at which benefits become taxable, reducing the tax burden for many retirees while maintaining some level of taxation for higher earners.
Key Provisions:
Higher Taxation Thresholds: Under current law, individuals earning more than $25,000 and couples earning more than $32,000 see up to 85% of their Social Security benefits taxed. The RETIREES FIRST Act proposes increasing these limits to $34,000 for individuals and $68,000 for couples, allowing more retirees to keep their full benefits tax-free.
Inflation Adjustments: Unlike current thresholds, which have remained unchanged since 1984, this bill ensures that the new limits will rise with inflation. Starting in 2026, these amounts would increase annually based on the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), preventing retirees from being pushed into taxable brackets simply because of inflation.
Protecting Social Security Trust Funds: Like the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, this bill also guarantees that lost tax revenue will be replaced. The federal government would allocate funds each year to ensure that Social Security and Railroad Retirement trust funds remain financially stable despite the reduction in taxable income.
Reallocating Federal Spending: To cover the cost of these tax cuts, the bill proposes rescinding an equal amount from non-security discretionary appropriations—meaning funding would be shifted from other federal programs rather than raising new taxes. This ensures that the tax relief for retirees doesn’t come at the expense of Social Security’s long-term sustainability.
Comparing the Two Bills: Similarities and Differences
Both bills aim to ease the tax burden on retirees, but they take different approaches in achieving this goal.
What They Have in Common:
Reducing Social Security Taxes: Both bills propose changes to lessen or eliminate the tax burden on retirees.
Protecting Social Security Trust Funds: Each bill ensures that lost tax revenue would be replaced to keep Social Security financially stable.
Avoiding New Taxes: Neither bill suggests raising new taxes to make up for the changes — though they differ on how they plan to cover the costs.
Key Differences:
How Much Tax Relief They Provide:
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act completely removes Social Security taxes for all recipients.
The RETIREES FIRST Act raises the taxable income thresholds, allowing more retirees to avoid taxes but still requiring higher earners to pay.
Inflation Adjustments:
The RETIREES FIRST Act includes a built-in inflation adjustment, ensuring the new tax thresholds increase over time.
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act does not include an inflation provision, meaning future retirees could still face taxation if income thresholds aren’t updated.
Implementation Timeline:
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act would take effect immediately upon passage.
The RETIREES FIRST Act’s changes wouldn’t take effect until tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2025.
How They Cover the Cost:
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act doesn’t specify how the government should offset lost tax revenue — only that new taxes should not be used.
The RETIREES FIRST Act proposes reallocating federal spending to make up for the revenue loss.
How Would These Bills Affect the Average Social Security Recipient?
To understand the potential impact of these proposed changes, let’s break it down with real numbers.
Scenario 1: A Single Retiree Making $30,000 a Year
Current Law: Since half of Social Security benefits count toward taxable income, this retiree’s income exceeds the $25,000 threshold, meaning up to 85% of their benefits are taxable. If they receive $20,000 in Social Security benefits, around $11,000 of that could be taxed.
Under the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act: They would no longer owe federal taxes on any part of their Social Security income, potentially saving them hundreds of dollars annually.
Under the RETIREES FIRST Act: The taxable income threshold would increase to $34,000, meaning this retiree’s Social Security benefits would no longer be subject to federal taxes, resulting in significant savings.
Scenario 2: A Married Couple Making $45,000 a Year
Current Law: Because their income exceeds $32,000, up to 85% of their Social Security benefits are taxable. If they receive a combined $35,000 in benefits, roughly $29,750 of that could be taxed.
Under the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act: Their Social Security income would be fully exempt from federal taxation, potentially saving them thousands per year.
Under the RETIREES FIRST Act: The threshold would rise to $68,000 for couples, meaning they would owe no federal taxes on their benefits, effectively eliminating their tax liability on Social Security.
The Bottom Line
Both the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act and the RETIREES FIRST Act aim to provide much-needed tax relief to retirees, but they differ in scope and execution. The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act offers a complete and immediate repeal of Social Security taxes, while the RETIREES FIRST Act provides a more gradual, targeted approach that adjusts for inflation.
For retirees, the question comes down to priorities: immediate, full tax relief or a phased-in approach that grows with inflation? No matter which bill gains traction, one thing is clear — there’s growing momentum in Congress to reform Social Security taxation and help retirees keep more of their hard-earned benefits.