Updated October 17, 2026. Quick answer: Box 5 of Form SSA-1099 is the net benefit figure: box 3 minus box 4. It is the one box on the statement that you carry into the tax worksheets. Publication 915 says to enter it on line A of IRS Notice 703, on line 1 of Worksheet 1, or on the worksheet in the Instructions for Form 1040. A figure in parentheses means you repaid more than you received.
IRS worksheets read line by line: Social Security Worksheet A, Social Security Lump-Sum Worksheet 2 and Social Security Lump-Sum Worksheet 3.
What box 5 reports
The publication defines the box this way: “The figure in this box is the net benefits paid to you for the year.” “It is the result of subtracting the figure in box 4 from the figure in box 3.”
The printed label on the statement says the same thing: “Box 5. Net Benefits for 2025 (Box 3 minus Box 4)”. The two inputs are covered on their own pages, SSA-1099 box 3 and SSA-1099 box 4. The wider layout of the statement is in the SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 boxes guide.
The formula, with a labelled illustration
The relationship is a single subtraction. The publication’s own example reads: “The amount in box 5 shows your net benefits of $2,200 ($2,700 minus $500).”
As a second illustration, not an IRS example, suppose box 3 shows $14,400 and box 4 shows $1,200. Then box 5 is $14,400 minus $1,200 = $13,200. The form does the arithmetic for you, so the point of working it out is only to confirm that your three boxes are consistent before you enter the result.
The publication also reminds readers what box 5 is for: “Use the amount in box 5 to figure whether any of your benefits are taxable.”
Where box 5 is entered
The publication names three places in one sentence, shown in the table. The first worksheet in the publication adds a fourth.
| Where it goes | Wording in the publication |
|---|---|
| Notice 703 | “Enter this amount on line A of IRS Notice 703” |
| Publication 915, Worksheet 1 | “or on line 1 of Worksheet 1” |
| Form 1040 instructions | “or on the worksheet in the Instructions for Form 1040.” |
| Worksheet A, line A | “Enter the total amount from box 5 of ALL your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099.” |
The worksheet note adds a rule for people with more than one statement: “If you received more than one form, combine the amounts from box 5 and enter the total.” Where the result lands on the return is on the Form 1040 page, and how the taxable portion is figured is explained on the Social Security tax torpedo page. Do not mail the notice with the return: “Don’t mail Notice 703 to either the IRS or the SSA.”
When box 5 is in parentheses
The publication explains the sign: “If parentheses are around the figure in box 5, it means that the figure in box 4 is larger than the figure in box 3.” “This is a negative figure and means you repaid more money than you received in 2025.”
As an illustration, not an IRS example: box 3 of $1,000 and box 4 of $1,600 give $1,000 minus $1,600 = ($600), shown on the form as a figure in parentheses.
What follows from a negative figure is stated in the publication in these words: “your net benefits in box 5 will be a negative figure (a figure in parentheses) and none of your benefits will be taxable.” “Don’t use Worksheet 1 in this case.”
Two further rules cover several statements and joint returns: “If you receive more than one form, a negative figure in box 5 of one form is used to offset a positive figure in box 5 of another form for that same year.” For a joint return, the publication’s example is “Ryan and Jordan will use $2,500 ($3,000 minus $500) as the amount of their net benefits when figuring if any of their combined benefits are taxable.”
What box 5 is not reduced by
The adjustments listed under box 3, such as the Medicare premium deduction, do not change box 5. The publication’s tip says: “Don’t reduce the amount of net social security benefits (box 5) by any of the items listed below.” The premium item has its own page: the Medicare premium line. For the railroad version of the same net figure, see RRB-1099 box 3.
Questions about a negative figure
If you do not understand why box 5 is negative, the publication says: “If you have any questions about this negative figure, contact your local SSA office.” A negative total across all of your statements has a separate discussion in the publication under the heading “Repayment of benefits received in an earlier year.” That discussion is outside the scope of this page.
Edition and box numbers
The primary read for this page is Publication 915 for 2025 returns, the IRS publication that explains Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 and reproduces a sample SSA-1099. It describes the form with the words “Form SSA-1099, Social Security Benefit Statement 2025”. Only that edition was read for this page, so no wording is compared against any other edition. The sample form numbers this box 5, and its heading on the explanation page reads “Net Benefits for 2025 (Box 3 Minus Box 4)”. The sample in the publication carries its own caution: “You should, however, compare the form you received with the one shown in this publication to note any differences.” Check the tax year printed on the statement you received before relying on any box description here.
Common mistakes
- Entering box 3 where box 5 belongs. The publication says box 5 “is the net benefits paid to you for the year”.
- Dropping the parentheses on a negative box 5. The publication says such a figure “means you repaid more money than you received in 2025”.
- Subtracting the Medicare premium or other box 3 items again. The tip says “Don’t reduce the amount of net social security benefits (box 5) by any of the items listed below.”
Related: the Social Security tax torpedo, Form 1040, 2025 tax brackets, and Schedule A (Form 1040).
Sources
- Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits (for 2025 returns): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf
- IRS web edition of Publication 915 (2025): https://www.irs.gov/publications/p915
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 17, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.