I'm in a similar situation as a freelance writer at 64. What I've learned from my experience and talking to SSA is that documentation is absolutely key. I use a simple spreadsheet to track daily hours and project earnings, and I photograph my work calendar at the end of each week as backup. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you do go over the earnings limit accidentally, you can sometimes avoid penalties by stopping work immediately when you realize it. SSA has a monthly earnings test where they won't withhold benefits for any month you earn under $1,860 (in 2025), even if your annual total goes over. This can be helpful if you have an unexpectedly busy month. Also, as a graphic designer, your work would likely be considered "skilled" so SSA might scrutinize hours more closely than someone doing simpler tasks. I'd definitely stick to that under-40-hours plan you mentioned. Better safe than dealing with overpayments later!

I'm 65 and just went through this exact situation last year as a freelance photographer. Here's what I learned the hard way: SSA does distinguish between "employee" work and "self-employment" work, and the rules are definitely stricter for us self-employed folks. What saved me was creating a simple tracking system: I use a basic calendar app where I log start/stop times daily, plus a separate spreadsheet for income tracking. Every Sunday I total up my weekly hours and make sure I'm on track to stay under 40 hours for the month. The "substantial services" rule is real - I had a friend who got caught working 50+ hours even though his income was low, and SSA still considered it substantial work. They don't just look at your tax return; they can request detailed work logs during an audit. One tip: if you have months where you anticipate needing more hours, try to balance it with lighter months. I do more work in fall/winter and take it easier in summer to average out. Just make sure you document everything meticulously. The peace of mind is worth the extra paperwork!

Great thread! I'm in a similar situation - turning 62 next year and considering early retirement with some consulting work. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the "grace year" rule that might be relevant. In your first year of retirement (the year you start collecting benefits), SSA uses a monthly earnings test instead of the annual test. For 2025, that's $1,950 per month instead of the $23,400 annual limit. This can be helpful if you're starting benefits mid-year and want to work more in the months before your benefits begin. Just make sure to factor this into your planning along with the hour restrictions everyone's discussed!

This is such a valuable discussion! As someone who's been navigating SS benefits and self-employment for a few years now, I wanted to add one practical tip that's helped me stay compliant. I use a simple spreadsheet to track not just my hours worked, but also the TYPE of work I'm doing each day. For example, I differentiate between "direct production work" (actually making furniture) versus "administrative tasks" (ordering supplies, answering emails, bookkeeping). The SSA considers managerial and administrative work differently than hands-on production when evaluating material participation. If a significant portion of your weekly hours are administrative rather than direct craftsmanship, that can sometimes work in your favor during reviews. Also, consider seasonal planning - if your furniture business naturally has busy and slow periods, you might structure your work to stay under limits during SSA's typical review periods (usually first quarter of the year). Just another angle to think about as you plan your business structure!

I'm in a similar boat - 66 and planning to work part-time while delaying SS until 70. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the provisional income thresholds or that you could have taxes withheld directly from SS payments. One question for those already navigating this: how do you handle the timing if your part-time income varies significantly month to month? I'm planning to do seasonal consulting work, so some quarters will be much higher income than others. Should I base my withholding/quarterly payments on my highest earning quarters to be safe, or is there a better way to smooth this out? Also, has anyone found good resources for modeling different scenarios? I keep seeing mentions of various calculators but would love specific recommendations for tools that handle the SS taxation piece well.

I'm 68 and have been collecting SS since my FRA while working part-time as a bookkeeper. Here's what I learned the hard way - the taxation of Social Security benefits creates what I call a "double hit" because not only do you pay taxes on your work income, but that work income can also push more of your SS benefits into taxable territory. My strategy has been to have 12% withheld directly from my Social Security payments (using Form W-4V) and then adjust my workplace withholding based on how much I expect to earn that year. I also keep a spreadsheet tracking my monthly income so I can make an estimated payment in Q4 if needed. One thing that caught me off guard: if you have any traditional IRA/401k withdrawals planned, those count toward your provisional income too and can really bump up your tax liability. I ended up spreading my IRA withdrawals across multiple years to keep from hitting the higher taxation thresholds. The key is running scenarios with different income levels before you start collecting. It's much easier to plan ahead than to scramble with estimated payments after you're already getting hit with the taxes!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who recently went through this process. I submitted my W-4V form about 3 weeks before my first payment was scheduled, and it worked perfectly. The key thing I learned is that you want your form to be in their system and processed BEFORE your first payment hits, but you don't necessarily need to wait until your status changes from "pending." I'd recommend calling your local SSA office first to ask about their current processing times for W-4V forms. Some offices are faster than others, and this will help you time it right. In my case, they told me it takes about 2-3 weeks to process, so I submitted mine accordingly. Also, definitely go in person if possible - I've heard too many stories about mailed forms getting lost. Good luck with your retirement benefits!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The confusion about timing is totally understandable. From my experience, you can absolutely submit your W-4V form now even while your application shows as "pending." I submitted mine about 2 weeks after getting my approval notification (while it still showed pending online) and everything worked smoothly. Here's what I'd suggest: Fill out your W-4V form completely, make several copies for your records, and take it directly to your local SSA office in person. When I went, they stamped my copy as received and told me it would be attached to my file so the withholding would automatically start with my first payment. Sure enough, my first check in had the correct tax withholding! The most important thing is getting it processed before your May payment, so you have plenty of time. Don't stress too much about the "pending" status online - that's just how their system works during the transition period. You've got this!

Wow, this entire thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm actually a federal employee (not state) and have been wondering about how my FERS pension might affect spousal benefits when my husband eventually applies for Social Security. I know federal pensions work differently than state pensions regarding Social Security, but reading about everyone's GPO experiences has me thinking I should get educated about this now rather than being surprised later. The advice about gathering documentation early and calling SSA to verify application status seems universally valuable, regardless of the specific pension system. And the tip about timing calls for shorter wait times is something I'm definitely going to remember. One question for the group - has anyone dealt with FERS pensions specifically, or is most of the GPO discussion here focused on state/local government pensions? I'm wondering if the calculation differences might affect the GPO impact differently. Thanks again to ApolloJackson for starting this conversation and to everyone who shared their experiences. This is exactly the kind of real-world information that's so hard to find in official publications!

This thread has been incredibly educational! I'm actually a newer federal employee (started with FERS about 3 years ago) and had no idea there were different rules for different pension systems. Julia's explanation about FERS employees generally not being subject to GPO because we do pay into Social Security makes sense, but I'm definitely going to call SSA to confirm this applies to my specific situation. What strikes me most about reading everyone's experiences is how much the system seems to rely on people figuring things out on their own rather than providing clear guidance upfront. The fact that so many of you received confusing letters or had documents disappear from your online accounts suggests this is a systemic communication issue, not just individual cases. I'm going to take the advice several people mentioned about starting to organize all my employment documentation now, even though I'm nowhere near retirement. It seems like having everything ready ahead of time is crucial for navigating these complex benefit interactions successfully. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - this is invaluable information that you just can't get from reading SSA publications alone!