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An Update on the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act”
H.R. 7084, titled the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act” was introduced in late January of this year by Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn) and has accumulated 10 cosponsors at this point. It’s primary objective is the elimination of federal income tax on Social Security benefits, funded by a change in the maximum taxable earnings limits. The current cap on earnings subject to payroll tax would be tiered, with the first tier being the current taxable limit of $168,600 remaining, while earnings from $168,601 to $249,999 being untaxed. The payroll tax would resume at $250,000 and would be applied to all earnings beyond that point.
No action has been taken on the bill since its submission, and govtrack.us gives it a 0% chance of enactment, but it’s worthy of note that if enacted the bill is projected to provide about two decades of breathing room for the point of Social Security insolvency.
Taxing Social Security benefits is a frequently recurring item in discussions on the program’s need for reform. Since the thresholds for taxation are not indexed to compensate for rising income, more and more seniors face the prospect of paying federal income tax on their earned benefits. As a result, what was once only intended to affect a few high-income taxpayers has evolved to hurt more than half of retired taxpayers.
U.S. News and World Report contributor Maryalene LaPonsie summarizes the bill in a post on their website, which you can access here.
Good day to all,
If there is 0% change of this bill passing Congress, why was the bill even introduced by this Congress woman from Minnesota into Congress. It seems pretty stupid of this Congress woman to do such a thing. All it does is get senior citizens excited that something good is going to occur for them in the near future. Why do senior citizens continue to vote when they know nothing is going to be done for them by their politicians. Screw it. I’ve given up on voting in US elections.
Politicians are not here to help Americans who have worked and paid taxes their whole life.
Now that senior citizens are in legitimate need of help, our politicians could care less.
Professionally submitted,
Robert A. Tucker
Dr. Tucker:
Thank you for your well-constructed comments regarding H.R. 7084 (the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act”). We cannot offer commentary on the motive behind the Bill’s sponsor given the govtrack.us 0% prognosis, but we offer the possible explanation that the matter is being deferred pending attention to Social Security’s larger problem of long-term insolvency.
With full depletion of Old-Age and Survivor’s Insurance (OASI) reserves now projected for 2033, and the resulting across-the-board benefit reductions this would cause, it seems likely that funding stream changes like those advocated in this Bill will be addressed in a larger scale reform of Social Security, hopefully sooner than later.
AMAC agrees with the intent of H.R. 7084, as well as the intent of H.R. 3206 (the “Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act.”) Both bills would help millions of seniors nationwide by excluding tier I railroad retirement benefits and Social Security benefits when calculating annual income tax liability. In continued development of AMAC’s “Social Security Guarantee” proposal–a plan that would modernize Social Security and preserve it for generations to come–we have included a recommendation to either totally eliminate the inclusion of Social Security benefits in the federal income tax calculation or, failing that, raise the income thresholds at which the benefit is included. You can read about this proposal on the AMAC.us website at amac.us/social-security-guarantee-2.
Thanks again for contacting us.
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
I have been paying into Social Security since I was fourteen years old. I have worked more than forty-four years. Social Security is automatically taken from every single paycheck the entire time people are working. Now that I am receiving a small portion of what I made while working, the state I live in determined that they will tax my benefits. Social Security is a Federal program, not state. Either have people pay these taxes in EVERY state, or NO states. Stop giving individual states the “option”. We didn’t get an option when paying into Social Security. What makes just these few states so special that they can just decide to take more money from individuals who worked for it? My Social Security is NOT a benefit. I worked very hard, for a very long time, I earned it. The government did NOT earn it, they took it. Taking even more money from people who have spent their entire lives working, and earning their retirement, has to STOP. What can we do to move this bill forward? However the government decides to deal with problems and shortfalls is NOT MY concern. The government MADE this mess, THEY can figure out how to fix it.
Stacy:
Thank you for your well-constructed comments regarding H.R. 7084 (the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act”). On you question of what can be done to move this Bill forward, we offer the possible explanation that the matter is being deferred pending attention to Social Security’s larger problem of long-term insolvency.
With full depletion of Old-Age and Survivor’s Insurance (OASI) reserves now projected for 2033, and the resulting across-the-board benefit reductions this would cause, it seems likely that funding stream changes like those advocated in this Bill will be addressed in a larger scale reform of Social Security, hopefully sooner than later.
AMAC agrees with the intent of H.R. 7084, as well as the intent of H.R. 3206 (the “Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act.”) Both bills would help millions of seniors nationwide by excluding tier I railroad retirement benefits and Social Security benefits when calculating annual income tax liability. In continued development of AMAC’s “Social Security Guarantee” proposal–a plan that would modernize Social Security and preserve it for generations to come–we have included a recommendation to either totally eliminate the inclusion of Social Security benefits in the federal income tax calculation or, failing that, raise the income thresholds at which the benefit is included. You can read about this proposal on the AMAC.us website at amac.us/social-security-guarantee-2.
On your question about individual state’s imposing income tax on Social Security benefits, our focus is only on the federal aspects of Social Security financing. We will, however, include your remarks in our notes for discussion with Congress when the issue of Social Security reform is addressed. We anticipate this happening early in the 119th Congress set to convene in January 2025.
Thanks again for contacting us.
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
How ironic that we can find millions and millions to furnish housing feed and provide heath care for thousands and thousands of illegal immigrants.
But can’t find the money to stop taxing SS for the people who paid taxes all their life. It’s a shame.
Earnest:
Thank you for your comments regarding H.R. 7084 (the “You Earned It, You Keep It Act”). Your point is well taken, and AMAC has indicated its support of measures to exclude tier I railroad retirement benefits and Social Security benefits when calculating annual income tax liability. Specifically, AMAC has expressed support for a similar bill, H.R. 3206 ((the “Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act.”)
In continued development of AMAC’s “Social Security Guarantee” proposal–a plan that would modernize Social Security and preserve it for generations to come–we have included a recommendation to either totally eliminate the inclusion of Social Security benefits in the federal income tax calculation or, failing that, raise the income thresholds at which the benefit is included. You can read about this proposal on the AMAC.us website at amac.us/social-security-guarantee-2.
Thanks again for your comments.
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
I just lost my wife 2 years ago and that reduced my SS by almost $1000. I now can no longer afford to pay my mortgage and will have to sell my home of 60 years. Every month I have to take money from savings to keep things going but that will soon be gone. The rich can certainly afford to pay. They need to think of future generations including their own children.
This is a good Bill I hope it passes. I would not be against all wages being taxed. Maybe add another bend point at 10% for those making over the max. Giving a benefit that you paid into and then taxing it away when you have paid taxes on that money is not really fair.
Every year that Social Security gives us a “raise” it just means that more of our Social Security is taxed. There’s no way to get ahead. Please pass the bill!
Thanks for the comment. As noted in response to a previous reader comment, our AMAC Action subsidiary is tracking this bill (HR 7084) in the current Congressional session and, to-date, there has been no action beyond its January introduction. A check today with govtrack.us continues to rate it as having zero chance of enactment as of this date, likely because of Social Security’s other competing issues. Since this taxation accounted for more than $50 billion in revenue for Social Security last year, and since Social Security under current law has no borrowing authority to replace the lost revenue, enactment of the bill would make the long-term financial problems facing the system more problematic.
AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee proposal for Social Security reform includes a recommendation to either eliminate inclusion of Social Security benefits in taxable income or raise the thresholds (which have not been adjusted for inflation since their original adoption decades ago). AMAC believes that this needs to be part of the overall approach to modernizing Social Security to align with 21st-Century economics, and will continue to advocate for the intent of HR 7084 as opportunities develop in the future. To learn more about AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee, visit https://amac.us/social-security-guarantee-2/.
Stay tuned to our daily website (SocialSecurityReport.org) for continued updates on Social Security and its future.
Thanks again for the comment!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
We seniors really need taxing our social security to STOP. It is so difficult trying to decide what can we do without on basic necessities. Pass this bill. I am not understanding why this bill is not being promoted by all politicians. What a talking point for reelection.
Ron:
Thanks for the comment. As noted in response to a previous reader comment, our AMAC Action subsidiary is tracking this bill (HR 7084) in the current Congressional session and, to-date, there has been no action beyond its January introduction. A check with govtrack.us continues to rate it as having zero chance of enactment as of this date, likely because of Social Security’s other competing issues. Since this taxation accounted for more than $50 billion in revenue for Social Security last year, and since Social Security under current law has no borrowing authority to replace the lost revenue, enactment of the bill would make the long-term financial problems facing the system more problematic.
AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee proposal for Social Security reform includes a recommendation to either eliminate inclusion of Social Security benefits in taxable income or raise the thresholds (which have not been adjusted for inflation since their original adoption decades ago). AMAC believes that this needs to be part of the overall approach to modernizing Social Security to align with 21st-Century economics, and will continue to advocate for the intent of HR 7084 as opportunities develop in the future. To learn more about AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee, visit https://amac.us/social-security-guarantee-2/.
Stay tuned to our daily website (SocialSecurityReport.org) for continued updates on Social Security and its future.
Thanks again for the comment!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
maybe it would look more appealing to the house and senate if she would stop the S.S. tax in her state first. then introduce to the federal part of the tax.
Kevin:
Thanks for the comment. Good point…we’ll pass this along to our AMAC Action colleagues who track pending legislation.
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
Please please pass the bill you earned it you keep it act.
Freddie:
Thanks for the comment. As noted in response to a previous reader comment, our AMAC Action subsidiary is tracking this bill (HR 7084) in the current Congressional session and, to-date, there has been no action beyond its January introduction. A check with govtrack.us continues to rate it as having zero chance of enactment as of this date, likely because of Social Security’s other competing issues. Since this taxation accounted for more than $50 billion in revenue for Social Security last year, and since Social Security under current law has no borrowing authority to replace the lost revenue, enactment of the bill would make the long-term financial problems facing the system more problematic.
AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee proposal for Social Security reform includes a recommendation to either eliminate inclusion of Social Security benefits in taxable income or raise the thresholds (which have not been adjusted for inflation since their original adoption decades ago). AMAC believes that this needs to be part of the overall approach to modernizing Social Security to align with 21st-Century economics, and will continue to advocate for the intent of HR 7084 as opportunities develop in the future.
Stay tuned to our daily website (SocialSecurityReport.org) for continued updates on Social Security and its future.
Thanks again for the comment!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
Come on, pass it NOW. This would be a great thing for Seniors.
Ronald:
Thanks for the comment. Our AMAC Action subsidiary is tracking this bill (HR 7084) and, to-date, there has been no action beyond its January introduction. Please note that AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee proposal for Social Security reform includes a recommendation to either eliminate inclusion of Social Security benefits in taxable income or raise the thresholds (which have not been adjusted for inflation since their original adoption decades ago). It’s doubtful that HR 7084 will be passed, given the significance of this piece of Social Security revenue ($50.7 billion last year) and the program’s already precarious financial situation.
Stay tuned to our daily website (SocialSecurityReport.org) for continued updates on Social Security and its future.
Again, thank you for your comments!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
The “You Earned It, You Keep It Act” is just that, an act. All talk and no ‘action’. Anything that involves taxing the rich is rarely passed.
Will:
Thanks for the comment. Our AMAC Action subsidiary is tracking this bill (HR 7084) and, to-date, there has been no action beyond its January introduction. Please note that AMAC’s Social Security Guarantee proposal for Social Security reform includes a recommendation to either eliminate inclusion of Social Security benefits in taxable income or raise the thresholds (which have not been adjusted for inflation since their original adoption decades ago). It’s doubtful that HR 7084 will be passed, given the significance of this piece of Social Security revenue ($50.7 billion last year) and the program’s already precarious financial situation.
Stay tuned to our daily website (SocialSecurityReport.org) for continued updates on Social Security and its future.
Again, thank you for your comments!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.
So $168,000 is the current cap. Most middle class working people make way less that $168,00. So they pay 6.4% on 100% of their income. But high earners those that make over $168,000 pay no more social security taxes. Thus getting a 6.4% raise. Confess wants to keep kicking the can down the road until it’s too late. They don’t want to break their promise of not raising taxes. Give me a break. This has been the least productive congress in our nation’s history.
Tax the rich and feed the poor. Of course this bill will help millions who need it. And tax the rich. This bill has 0% it will pass.
Senior citizens need relief from this high inflation now. It is long past time to stop taxing seniors on their Social Security. The threshold of 25k of total income has not been increased since 1993 and no senior could possibly survive in 2024 on 25k. This unfair tX particularly burdens senior women, who are statistically more likely to be single as they age. Stop taxing seniors on their Social Security now.
Mary:
We are in complete agreement with your concern. In fact, our advocacy subsidiary (AMAC Action) most recently joined in support of Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, H.R. 3206, an Act that seeks to help millions of seniors nationwide by excluding tier I railroad retirement benefits and Social Security benefits when calculating annual gross income. Further, in our Social Security Guarantee legislative proposal, which you can view on the AMAC.us website (https://amac.us/social-security-guarantee-2/), we also include a proposal to either eliminate the taxation completely or adjust the thresholds to account for inflation realized since they were put into place decades ago.
Thank you for contacting us and for sharing your concerns.
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state agency.