You generally owe tax on some of your benefits if your income (including one-half of your Social Security benefits, tax-exempt interest and a few other items.) is more than a certain amount -- $25,000 for single taxpayers and $35,000 for married couples filing jointly.

At this level, up to one-half of your Social Security benefits are generally taxable. If your income is higher - more than $34,000 for singles and $44,000 for married couples - up to 85 percent of your benefits are generally taxable. About one-third of Social Security recipients owe tax on their benefits. For more information, see www.ssa.gov.