Missing SS Statement

[Hoosier]

1040 client has all information necessary for preparation of tax return except her social security statement. Is there an easy way to obtain the information that is on the statement without requesting a transcript from the IRS?

[taxtime]

Have her

or him call the SSA. They will have it out in a few weeks. Had a client with the same thing this year.

[tpnl]

Go to SS

Have your client go to SS office (if there is a local one) and get a print out. I have clients that lose or misplace their statements and they go to the SS office to get a print out. It has all the same info as the SSA statement.

[ecb34691]

Statement not always necessary. For the ESP, IRS said to take the net monthly income and add back medicare (if necessary) to come up with gross. If the SS ends up being non-taxable - what's the problem? I'd note the facts in your files on how the amount was arrived at.

[Jiggers]

Missing SSA1099

Statement not always necessary. For the ESP, IRS said to take the net monthly income and add back medicare (if necessary) to come up with gross. If the SS ends up being non-taxable - what's the problem? I'd note the facts in your files on how the amount was arrived at.

It usually wasn't a problem doing it your way in the past. However the new Medicare Drug program has different premiums and the Medicare premium is increased for those that have income exceeding a certain amount.

[WhiteOleander]

If you have last years SS earned, multiply it by the COLA raise for 2007. Then you have the gross amount received for 2007.

I have done this for years when the client does not have their SSA statement. I have never had a client receive a letter that the SS earnings were not correct. Even if some of the SS was taxable.

[Uncle Sam]

Missing SS Statement

Have your client go to the local Social Security Administration office and request a duplicate SSA-1099.
It's printed out immediately - no waiting.

[Kram BergGold]

call irs

If you have P of A you can get the info from IRS. They have 1099 and W-2 info available for 2007 on the priority line.

[Black Bart]

Only problem (called them three times yesterday)

If you have P of A you can get the info from IRS. They have 1099 and W-2 info available for 2007 on the priority line.

is, there's a 15-20 minute wait time "on hold" plus dealing with agents.

First agent (after Mozart for 20 minutes) said I'd have to fax POA to Memphis CAF center and wait 48 hours for it to post. I complained; she said "as a courtesy" she would give me a fax number there (Philadelphia) and we could talk immediately. Problem -- fax is busy; gives me a second number, it's "Brendan's desk" (not a fax). Said try the first one again. I do -- hooray, it goes through. Got back on the phone and she's put me back on hold again (Mozart) -- after all, she had waited a good 2 1/2 minutes for me to try those fax numbers. Got mad, hung up, cooled off, phoned again, waited 15 minutes, got a good agent, then realized I'd made this call on my fax phone. I hang up. Suicidal now, make a third call, 15 minutes on hold again. Get another good agent, asks for POA, told her I'd already sent it in -- she looks, it can't be found. Told her the phone number I'd sent it to, she says "That number is for Philadelphia only; I'm in San Antonio." Offers me either an S.A. number or Memphis/48 hours. I elect San Antonio; she assures me she'll wait-- and does. It goes through. Then, Mickey Mouse identification obstacle course, three more minutes of wait, and...

SUCCESS! For all this, I'm advised that...........my client's reissued check will be mailed May 30th.

I asked her to repeat that statement at least three times (to get my money's worth).

[veritas]

Take

their monthly check or dd add the medicare premium and multiply by the months received.

[joanmcq]

"Got back on the phone and she's put me back on hold again (Mozart) -- after all, she had waited a good 2 1/2 minutes for me to try those fax numbers. "

Of course she put you on hold; she had to go to the fax machine to get the fax. That will happen every time. Impatience will get you nowhere. She would have come back on in a few seconds once the fax went through and she got back to the desk. So you wasted a bunch of time for nothing.

[Burke]

If you have last years SS earned, multiply it by the COLA raise for 2007. Then you have the gross amount received for 2007.I have done this for years when the client does not have their SSA statement. I have never had a client receive a letter that the SS earnings were not correct. Even if some of the SS was taxable.

This works. Increase for 2007 was 3.3% over 2006 gross benefit. If you have 2006 form or tax return w/this info on it, you can calculate. Increase for 2008 is 2.3% over 2007. Of course, this works only if there is no FIT withholding and you don't need the Medicare/Drug deductions for the Sche A.

[Black Bart]

Thanx

...Impatience will get you nowhere...

for the tip.

[FEDUKE404]

Show me the document!!

I personally would be extremely reluctant to work without the actual SSA-1099. Why?

1 - Medicare benefits are no longer the same for everyone, due to income issues and/or possible "life-changing events."
2 - Taxpayer may have received additional benefits due to prior year issues and/or adjustments.
3 - Taxpayer may have had to repay some benefits.
4 - Taxpayer could have elected federal withholding tax on the benefits.

Personally I would prefer to crawl across a bed of broken glass rather than to have to deal with any Soc Sec folks, however I have no qualms telling a client to get the missing document.

As others have mentioned, the SSA-1099 information is readily available at the local Soc Sec office, and I would assume for those computer-literate clients who have established an online account they could retrieve the information there also.

And finally, I just don't generally adhere to the "it hasn't been a problem yet" or "it doesn't make much of a difference" approach to tax preparation.

FE

[numberkruncher]

Get duplicate SSA-1099 online

Go to socialsecurity.gov/bso>Questions>Taxes & Social Security>SS Benefits Statement 1099>"How do I request a replacement SSA-1099 benefit statement for tax year 2007?">request a replacement online.......

You don't even have to log in. You may fill out an online request for "yourself" or "a deceased person". If you require a statement for an earlier tax year, there's a phone number provided.

My elderly non-computer client was present in my office, so I simply served as his typist to fill out the request. (Provide this service ONLY with the client present.) It took about 5 minutes to complete the request and the replacement forms were mailed to his home address in about 10 days.

No Mozart, my client didn't have to drive to the SS office, and he was very pleased with my quick, private solution to his dilemma.