2027 Benefit Amounts (Projected)
| Claiming Age | 2027 Projected Max | 2026 Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Age 62 (early) | ~$2,902 | $2,831 |
| Age 67 (FRA) | ~$4,118 | $4,018 |
| Age 70 (delayed) | ~$5,236 | $5,108 |
| Average retiree | ~$2,025 | ~$1,976 |
2027 Earnings Test Thresholds (Projected)
| Situation | 2027 Projected Limit | 2026 Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Under FRA (entire year) | ~$24,000/year | $23,400/year |
| Year you reach FRA | ~$63,700/year | $62,160/year |
| Month you reach FRA and after | No limit | No limit |
Taxation of Benefits — Thresholds Unchanged
The taxation thresholds for Social Security benefits are set by statute and have never been indexed for inflation. They remain the same for 2027:
| Filing Status | Combined Income | % of Benefits Taxable |
|---|---|---|
| Single | Below $25,000 | 0% |
| Single | $25,000 – $34,000 | Up to 50% |
| Single | Above $34,000 | Up to 85% |
| Married Filing Jointly | Below $32,000 | 0% |
| Married Filing Jointly | $32,000 – $44,000 | Up to 50% |
| Married Filing Jointly | Above $44,000 | Up to 85% |
See Confirmed 2026 Limits: For official SSA-published figures, see our 2026 Social Security Benefits page.
How Social Security Mechanics Apply in 2027
The Social Security wage base is the OASDI contribution cap: Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance tax (the 6.2% employer + 6.2% employee piece of FICA) applies only up to the annual wage base, projected near $181,500 for 2027. Wages above that ceiling are not subject to SS tax for the rest of the year and also do not earn additional credits toward the worker's benefit calculation. The 1.45% Medicare HI tax has no wage ceiling — it applies to every W-2 dollar.
Earnings test for claiming before Full Retirement Age: Workers who claim benefits before FRA (age 67 for those born 1960 or later) face withholding if they continue to earn wages. Under the projected 2027 thresholds, $1 of benefits is withheld for every $2 earned above ~$24,000 in the years before FRA, and $1 for every $3 earned above ~$63,700 in the calendar year of FRA itself. Withheld benefits are not lost permanently — SSA recomputes the benefit upward at FRA to credit back the months of withheld checks.
Provisional-income thresholds drive taxation of benefits: Up to 85% of Social Security benefits become federally taxable when "combined income" (AGI + tax-exempt interest + 50% of benefits) exceeds $25,000 single / $32,000 joint, with the 50% taxation bracket between $25-34k single and $32-44k joint. These statutory thresholds have not been indexed since they were set in 1983 and 1993, so each year more retirees cross into the taxable range. Twelve states also tax SS benefits in some form, though Kansas and West Virginia have phased out their taxes.