Which States Tax Social Security in 2026?
Only 8 states tax Social Security benefits in 2026: Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont.
The other 42 states and Washington, D.C. don't touch your benefits — and even the 8 that do exempt most middle-income retirees. West Virginia's phase-out finished this year.
How do the 8 taxing states treat Social Security?
Every one of them shields lower and middle incomes — through age-based deductions, AGI thresholds, or credits. Here's each state's rule at a glance; open a state for details and strategy.
| State | Income Tax Rate | Who's Exempt |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 4.40% flat | Fully deductible at 65+; 55–64 within income limits |
| Connecticut | 2.00%–6.99% | Exempt below $75K single / $100K joint AGI |
| Minnesota | 5.35%–9.85% | Full subtraction below $84,490 single / $108,320 joint AGI (TY2025, indexed) |
| Montana | 4.7% & 5.9% | Follows federal taxable amount |
| New Mexico | 1.7%–5.9% | Exempt below $100K single / $150K joint AGI |
| Rhode Island | 3.75%–5.99% | Exempt at FRA + AGI below $107,000 single / $133,500 joint (TY2025, indexed) |
| Utah | 4.45% flat (2026) | Full credit below $54K single / $90K joint income limits |
| Vermont | 3.35%–8.75% | Exempt below $55K single / $70K joint AGI |
Tax Rate
4.40% flat
Exemption Threshold
Fully deductible at 65+; 55–64 within income limits
Key Facts
- Colorado applies a flat 4.40% income tax rate to taxable income.
- Most Colorado retirees 65+ pay no state tax on Social Security at all.
- The 55–64 full deduction (within AGI limits) is recent — many one-year-old guides still show the old $20,000 cap for everyone under 65.
Tax Rate
2.00%–6.99%
Exemption Threshold
Exempt below $75K single / $100K joint AGI
Key Facts
- Connecticut income tax rates range from 2.00% to 6.99%.
- Even high-income residents never pay Connecticut tax on more than 25% of their benefits.
- The AGI test is a cliff, not a phase-out — one dollar over the threshold changes the treatment.
Tax Rate
5.35%–9.85%
Exemption Threshold
Full subtraction below $84,490 single / $108,320 joint AGI (TY2025, indexed)
Key Facts
- Minnesota income tax rates range from 5.35% to 9.85% — among the higher state rates.
- A 2023 law expansion means most Minnesota seniors now pay no state tax on Social Security.
- The subtraction limits are indexed for inflation, so they rise slightly each tax year.
Tax Rate
4.7% & 5.9%
Exemption Threshold
Follows federal taxable amount
Key Facts
- Montana’s 2024 tax restructure moved to two brackets: 4.7% and 5.9%.
- Montana is the only taxing state with no benefit-specific exemption or income threshold of its own — federal treatment flows straight through.
- Residents 65+ do get a general income subtraction ($5,660 for tax year 2025, indexed) that softens the bill without being Social Security–specific.
Tax Rate
1.7%–5.9%
Exemption Threshold
Exempt below $100K single / $150K joint AGI
Key Facts
- New Mexico’s income tax rates range from 1.7% to 5.9%.
- The 2022 exemption removed state Social Security tax for the large majority of New Mexico retirees.
- Above the thresholds, the federally taxable portion of benefits (up to 85%) is taxed at ordinary state rates.
Tax Rate
3.75%–5.99%
Exemption Threshold
Exempt at FRA + AGI below $107,000 single / $133,500 joint (TY2025, indexed)
Key Facts
- Rhode Island income tax rates range from 3.75% to 5.99%.
- The exemption has TWO tests — age (full retirement age) and income — and you must pass both. The income test is a hard cliff, not a phase-out.
- Rhode Island lawmakers have active proposals to phase the tax out entirely (FY2027 budget cycle) — rules may loosen; check current-year guidance before filing.
Tax Rate
4.45% flat (2026)
Exemption Threshold
Full credit below $54K single / $90K joint income limits
Key Facts
- Utah’s flat income tax rate is 4.45% for 2026 (cut from 4.5% in 2025 by SB 60, retroactive to January 1, 2026).
- Utah lawmakers debated full repeal of the Social Security tax in 2025 and instead raised the credit’s income limits (SB 71) — full repeal remains an active legislative topic.
- Utah is one of the few states that still taxes benefits at any income level once the credit fully phases out.
Tax Rate
3.35%–8.75%
Exemption Threshold
Exempt below $55K single / $70K joint AGI
Key Facts
- Vermont income tax rates range from 3.35% to 8.75% — the highest top rate among the taxing states.
- Vermont ($55,000 single) and Utah ($54,000 single) have the lowest income limits among the eight taxing states, so more middle-income retirees are exposed here.
- Above the phase-out, the federally taxable portion (up to 85%) is taxed at ordinary Vermont rates.
Which states recently stopped taxing Social Security?
Four states ended their Social Security tax in the last three years — a big reason older "13 states tax Social Security" articles are wrong today.
West Virginia no longer taxes Social Security: a three-year phase-out (35% exempt for 2024, 65% for 2025) reaches 100% exemption beginning with tax year 2026.
DetailsKansas stopped taxing Social Security in 2024: a mid-2024 law exempted all benefits retroactively to the start of tax year 2024, replacing the old $75,000 AGI cliff.
DetailsMissouri stopped taxing Social Security beginning tax year 2024, when it removed the income limits from its benefit deduction.
DetailsNebraska fully exempted Social Security beginning tax year 2024, accelerating a phase-out originally scheduled to finish in 2025.
DetailsWhich states don't tax Social Security?
42 states plus Washington, D.C. leave your benefits alone — 9 because they have no income tax at all, and the rest because they exempt Social Security specifically.
No state income tax (9 states)
Alaska · Florida · Nevada · New Hampshire · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Washington · Wyoming
Income tax, but Social Security is fully exempt (30 states + D.C. + the 4 recent repeals)
Alabama · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Delaware · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Mississippi · New Jersey · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Virginia · Wisconsin · Washington, D.C. · West Virginia · Kansas · Missouri · Nebraska
Does the federal government still tax Social Security in 2026?
Yes — and for most retirees the federal tax is far bigger than any state tax. Up to 85% of your benefit is federally taxable once provisional income (AGI + tax-exempt interest + half your benefit) passes $25,000 for single filers or $32,000 for joint filers — thresholds that have never been indexed for inflation.
The 2025–2028 "senior bonus" deduction adds $6,000 per person 65 and older. It phases out at 6% of MAGI above $75,000 single / $150,000 joint — fully gone at $175,000 / $250,000. It lowers many retirees' bills — but despite the headlines, it did not eliminate taxes on Social Security, and it's scheduled to expire after 2028.
Should you move states to avoid Social Security taxes?
Usually not for this reason alone. Because every taxing state exempts most middle-income retirees, the state tax on benefits typically amounts to a few hundred dollars a year — real money, but small next to the claiming decision itself. Claiming at the wrong age routinely costs households tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime, and in some states (Rhode Island, Colorado) your claiming age even changes whether the state taxes you at all.
That's the analysis worth running before any moving van: married couples have the most combinations to get right, and the maze of rules in the Social Security handbook is exactly why we built an engine to check them.
Frequently Asked Questions
State taxation of Social Security, 2026
Reviewed by Jackie Payne, RSSA® Credentialed Consultant, RN, BSN · Last verified July 2026
State taxes are the small lever. Claiming age is the big one.
Get your optimal claiming analysis — including your state's specific exemptions and thresholds — and see your true after-tax benefit.