Claim Social Security before your Full Retirement Age (67) and keep working — SSA withholds part of your benefit. See exactly how much, plus the tax stack on top.
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2026 amounts. We never store your data.
Earnings test only applies before FRA (67). At 67+, earn unlimited income with zero withholding.
Only wages + self-employment count toward the earnings test. Pensions / IRA / dividends do NOT count.
The number above is how much of your Social Security will be withheld if you're claiming SS before your full retirement age (FRA) and still earning a paycheck.
If you claim SS at 62, 63, 64, 65, or 66 and you're also working, the SSA temporarily withholds part of your benefit. Once you reach FRA (age 67 for most), the test goes away — you can earn unlimited income with no withholding.
The SSA doesn't take your money. It withholds checks for now, then permanently increases your future monthly benefit at FRA to make up for what was withheld. So it's more like a delay than a penalty.
Usually no — if you're earning enough that most of the benefit gets withheld anyway, you're better off waiting, getting the larger guaranteed check, and skipping the paperwork.
Withholding is not lost. At FRA, SSA recomputes your benefit upward to credit back the withheld months. Federal tax estimated using 2026 projected brackets and standard deduction. State tax not included (CA exempts SS from state tax).