Social Security limit and 401 (income, employee, collecting, get)

[pwrightt]

The limit for the amount you can make working and collect SS is approx. $15700 or close if under 66. My question. I make about $25,000 a year now. I'm 63 and collecting my deceased husbands SS. If I put like 30% in a 401k does SS count your earnings per tax or after tax. The 401 is pre taxed so it may be wise to do this and I would not get dinged with my SS check. My question. How does SS figure out income if the money taken out of my check is pre taxed for my 401k.

[Flamingo13]

It's based on GROSS income, it doesn't matter how you try to hide it.

[reed303]

As Flamingo said, it is total gross wages:

See page 5 & 6 of https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10069.pdf where it says:

"We do count an employee’s contribution to a pension or retirement plan, however,
if the contribution amount is included in the employee’s gross wages."

Remember that any benefits not paid are not "lost", they are deferred until you reach FRA, or wages go below the limit.