Question: when did social security payments start being taxed
Answer: Beginning in tax year 1984 , with the Reagan - era reforms to repair the system 's projected insolvency , retirees with incomes over $25,000 ( in the case of married persons filing separately who did not live with the spouse at any time during the year , and for persons filing as `` single '' ) , or with combined incomes over $32,000 ( if married filing jointly ) or , in certain cases , any income amount ( if married filing separately from the spouse in a year in which the taxpayer lived with the spouse at any time ) generally saw pa