Updated September 5, 2026. Quick answer: No. Massachusetts has not adopted the federal rule that taxes Social Security, so none of it is included in state gross income.
Confidence note: high. This page is scoped to Social Security taxation specifically. For the state’s full retirement-tax picture (pensions, tax rates, estate and probate), see how Massachusetts taxes retirement income generally.
How Massachusetts taxes Social Security benefits
| State personal income tax | Yes |
|---|---|
| Social Security treatment | Not taxed |
| How it works | M.G.L. c. 62, § 2(a)(2)(H) excludes “social security benefits included in federal gross income under section eighty-six of the Code” from Massachusetts gross income outright, regardless of the amount taxable federally. |
| Income threshold / phase-out | No income threshold or age test; full exemption at every income level. |
Coordinate this with your overall retirement plan
An adviser can help weigh how much of your Social Security income actually reaches you after state tax, whether the timing of other withdrawals affects that, and how it fits the rest of your plan, but that does not replace the numbers in your own return.
Before you start, what actually happens. The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide is paid when you submit the form, whether or not you hire anyone. The matching service is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
The Kapitalwise form opens here. You stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It requests contact details and phone verification by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button. Submitting the form does not guarantee an adviser or a match. This matching form is not tax or legal advice.
Statute and sources
Governing citation: M.G.L. c. 62, § 2(a)(2)(H).
Read September 5, 2026.
Related: how Massachusetts taxes retirement income generally · does Massachusetts tax Roth conversions? · Roth conversion taxes, all 51 jurisdictions.
General information drawn from each state’s own published statutes and revenue-department guidance, not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures and exemption amounts are current as of the date in the quick answer, are set by state law, and can change by future legislation; any pending bill named on this page is not yet law. This page cannot see your own return, which governs. We are not a law firm, a tax adviser, or a fiduciary, and this is not personalized advice.