Is No Tax on Social Security in GOP House Bill? What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Social Security tax cuts have not been included in the latest draft of the Republican spending bill currently being considered by lawmakers.
On Monday, the House Ways and Means Committee released draft legislation, a centerpiece of President Trump's domestic economic agenda. It proposes raising the nation's debt ceiling by $4 trillion, extends certain tax cuts from his first term, and adds new breaks on tips, overtime pay and auto loans.
The end of Social Security taxes, as promised by the president, is not included in the bill. But instead, millions of seniors could benefit from a new bonus being considered by lawmakers as part of the Republican "big, beautiful" spending bill.
Why It Matters
President Trump vowed to nix taxes on Social Security income during his campaign for the 2024 election, and since his inauguration has repeatedly promised to see the pledge through.
Currently, up to 85 percent of Social Security benefits can be subject to federal income tax, depending on total income. Some 40 percent of benefit recipients currently pay federal income taxes on retirement, spousal and disability benefits—not including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), according to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Stock image/file photo: A Social Security card with U.S. Dollars.
Stock image/file photo: A Social Security card with U.S. Dollars.
GETTY
What To Know
The deduction begins to phase out at a modified adjusted gross income of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Taxpayers aged 65 and older already receive a slightly higher standard deduction. Under the proposed bill, they would be eligible to claim both the standard deduction and this additional senior benefit.
The new deduction would apply to tax years 2025 through 2028 and to qualify, the filer—and their spouse if filing jointly—must provide valid Social Security numbers.
Why Haven't Social Security Taxes Been Cut?
Under the Byrd Rule, lawmakers are prohibited from making any changes to Social Security in budget reconciliation legislation. It is named after its chief sponsor, the late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia.
The Byrd Rule allows senators to remove provisions from reconciliation bills if they are deemed "extraneous" to the primary goal of budgetary reform. Without this safeguard, committees assigned reconciliation instructions could include numerous unrelated measures in their proposals—some of which might struggle to pass through standard legislative process.
Social Security Solvency
Experts have pointed out that ending Social Security income taxes could have a consequential impact on the trust funds that are used to pay beneficiaries.
Social Security is on track to face major financial shortfalls within the next decade. If a solution is not found in the coming years, benefits could be cut by 17 percent in 2035, according to a 2024 report from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General.
Ending taxation on Social Security benefits would result in around $950 billion in revenue loss for the SSA, according to the The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonpartisan public policy think tank.
What People Are Saying
Andrew Biggs, a senior fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank, told MarketWatch: "So, basically, it's a tax cut for seniors, which is intended to cushion the blow of not repealing income taxes on Social Security benefits. Eliminating benefit taxation was neither affordable nor necessary in the first place. But retirees looking forward to a big tax cut might be disappointed."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, via X: "Our 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' will deliver the America First Agenda. This has been a year in the making, and we will not rest until we get it done for the American people."
What Happens Next
The final draft of the bill could differ from what is currently being proposed as lawmakers. The bill needs to win over nearly every Republican on the floor of the narrowly divided House. If it passes, it will then be considered in the Senate.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Protests Spread Beyond Los Angeles over Immigration Raids
Police officers tackle and drag a protestor during a rainy anti-ICE demonstration in New York. Credit - Madison Swart/ Hans Lucas — AFP via Getty Images Anti-ICE demonstrations are expected to spread to more cities this week after days of unrest in Los Angeles, with at least 30 new protests planned across the country in response to the Trump Administration's recent immigration raids. Additional protests have already broken out in San Francisco, Sacramento, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago and New York, where activists rallied over the weekend and into Monday in solidarity with demonstrators in Los Angeles. By Monday afternoon, organizers had scheduled demonstrations in nearly every major city, signaling a growing backlash to the Trump Administration's immigration enforcement tactics and its deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. Read more: Trump Suggests Arresting Gavin Newsom, Escalating Tensions Over ICE Raids The protests were sparked by a series of workplace immigration raids last week, and escalated after the arrest of David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of California, during a demonstration in Los Angeles on Friday. Huerta, a prominent labor and civil rights leader, was taken into federal custody and hospitalized after what ICE described as interference with a federal operation. His arrest has galvanized organized labor, with SEIU chapters announcing nationwide demonstrations in his defense and in protest of what they called a 'clear attack on our communities.' In Los Angeles, the protests have grown larger and more confrontational since Friday. Hundreds of demonstrators marched downtown and clashed with law enforcement. Some protesters set barricades in the streets, vandalized buildings, and hurled objects at law enforcement. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, and the California Highway Patrol used flash-bang grenades to clear demonstrators after a group blocked traffic. Read more: Can the President Activate a State's National Guard? At least 150 people have been arrested in Los Angeles since the protests began, and city officials warned that further disruptions could continue throughout the week. Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city over the weekend, bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the move 'a violation of state sovereignty' and signaled plans to challenge the decision in court. Trump has described protesters as 'insurrectionists' and 'professional agitators' who 'should be in jail.' A map of anti-ICE demonstrations posted by SEIU showed that events were planned in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Charlotte, Portland, St. Paul, Santa Fe, and more. Additional demonstrations may also take place, though the largest demonstrations remain centered in Los Angeles, where National Guard soldiers in tactical gear continue to patrol areas downtown. 'ICE's brutal, military-style tactics have no place in our communities,' SEIU wrote in a post on X. 'We demand safety. We demand respect. We demand David's release.' Write to Nik Popli at
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mexico's president condemns violence amid protests against ICE raids
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday denounced acts of violence linked to widespread demonstrations in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Speaking during her regular morning news conference, Sheinbaum called for respect for legal processes in immigration enforcement and asked U.S. officials to uphold the rule of law. 'We condemn violence wherever it comes from,' Sheinbaum said, per Reuters. The protests erupted on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted raids in the city and surrounding communities. Demonstrations were largely peaceful, but tensions flared Saturday and Sunday. Police have reported 42 arrests after Sunday's protests turned violent, including 19 by the California Highway Patrol, who were called to a demonstration that closed the 101 Freeway through DTLA for several hours. Local and state leaders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have criticized President Donald Trump's use of the National Guard in trying to quell anti-ICE immigration, saying the escalation in force has led and will only lead to further trouble. Newsom also announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the deployment. Trump also indicated that he would be willing to bring in the U.S. Marines if he deemed the situation warranted it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mom buys product she thought was U.S.-made, but warns of misleading labels
As President Trump's trade war continues, some consumers are searching for products made in the U.S. When Mary Schubart set out to buy bedding for her twins heading off to college, she was looking for products that were safe, provided comfort and, if possible, she wanted to buy American-made. "I like the idea of buying to support the local economy, but my overriding concern was safer," Schubart said. Schubart said she thought she found the perfect mattress pads from Pottery Barn Teen. It was advertised online as "crafted in the USA," but when they arrived, she was surprised to see one of the tags read "made in China." "I knew it is one of the countries that has less stringent regulations pertaining to health and pertaining to final product production, so I was disappointed," she said. Schubart reported her findings to Truth in Advertising, a nonprofit watchdog group that investigates when companies make false claims. Laura Smith, the Truth in Advertising legal director, said they had already flagged false claims by Pottery Barn Teen to the Federal Trade Commission. "We had found 800-plus examples of products marketed as 'made in the USA' or 'crafted in America' when they were actually imported," Smith said, of the merchandise found on seven William Sonoma websites in 2019. Schubart's complaint led to the largest "Made in the USA" civil penalty in history, with more than $3 million against Williams Sonoma, the parent company of Pottery Barn Teen. In a statement, Williams Sonoma apologized for what it called an "administrative mistake," saying, "Last year, we received an FTC fine due to an unintentional administrative mistake associated with the online product descriptions of seven items we sell. We are deeply sorry for any confusion that may have been caused by the inaccurate information that was shared, and we have improved our processes to help prevent similar incidents in the future." "Civil penalties, as long as they're more than a slap on the wrist, they can have a real impact. But it needs to be a fine that's big enough to hurt," Smith said. What qualifies as "Made in the USA?" The Federal Trade Commission requires that products advertised as "Made in the USA" be all or virtually all manufactured domestically. Plus, the ingredients or components must be made and sourced in the United States, which is the issue in a current lawsuit against Reynolds Aluminum foil for its "Made in the USA" label. The suit claims the product's key raw material, Bauxite, is not mined in the U.S. Reynolds says the claims have no merit and it will defend the case. How to know if a product is American-made Amid Mr. Trump's tariffs on certain products, some companies have said they plan to invest more in U.S. manufacturing. To verify if a product is "Made in the USA," check the label for that exact wording. Beware of qualifying language like "Assembled in the USA" or "with imported parts." If you're unsure, consumers can verify with the brand by going to its website or calling directly. Australian reporter covering Los Angeles protests shot with rubber bullet by police officer Kristi Noem says "we are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen" amid L.A. crackdown Magic in the dark: The fantastical worlds of Lightwire Theater
