Do Social Security Survivor Benefits for Child Need to be Reported on Tax Return?

Tax professional here. Generally, Social Security survivor benefits received by a child are only taxable if the child has other income that pushes them over the base amount. You should receive a SSA-1099 showing the total benefits. The child would only need to file if their total income (half of SS benefits + other income) exceeds $25,000.

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in the same boat rn... its so confusing dealing with all this after losing someone 😢

Called the SSA about this exact thing last week - they said dont report it unless theres other income

mine are teenagers with part time jobs so we had to report it... such a pain lol

I went through this exact situation last year! The key thing to remember is that Social Security survivor benefits for children are generally not taxable UNLESS your child has other significant income. You'll get a SSA-1099 form showing the total benefits received. As long as your child doesn't have other income sources (like significant investment income or wages), you typically won't need to report it. The threshold is pretty high - around $25,000 total income including half the SS benefits. Keep all your paperwork though, just in case you need it later. Hope this helps ease some stress during an already difficult time! 💙

Just went through this same situation with my daughter's survivor benefits. The confusion is totally understandable - there's so much conflicting info out there! What helped me was calling the IRS directly (yeah, long hold times but worth it). They confirmed that as long as your child doesn't have other income sources pushing them over the threshold, the survivor benefits alone typically won't be taxable. The SSA-1099 you receive will show the total benefits, but you likely won't need to report it. Keep that form though - it's important for your records. Hang in there, dealing with taxes on top of everything else is rough but you've got this! 💪