Need a Replacement SSA-1099? Get the Correct Tax Statement

If your Social Security tax statement is missing, start with the year you need and the kind of payment you received. You can request a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S from SSA without paying for the replacement. A copy of a tax statement and a decision about how much tax you owe are separate tasks.

Check Which Document You Need

An SSA-1099 reports Social Security benefits for a calendar year. SSA normally sends the annual statement in January for the preceding year. Some people receive an SSA-1042S instead; use the form SSA issues for your situation rather than substituting another form.

SSI payments are not taxable. If Supplemental Security Income is your only payment from SSA, the agency does not issue a tax statement for it. Receiving SSI alongside Social Security benefits is different: do not assume the absence of a statement merely because you also receive SSI.

A benefit-verification letter serves another purpose: it confirms benefit or application status, often for an income-verification request. If that is what a housing provider or lender requested, see our benefit-verification letter guide. Ask the requester which document and year they need before retrieving records.

Get the Right Year Online

Start at SSA’s official tax-form service and sign in to your personal my Social Security account. SSA’s instructions direct you to the replacement tax-form option, then a year selector and download link. You can view, save or print an available statement.

SSA provides statements for the past six years for which benefits were paid. Its replacement instructions distinguish the most recent tax year, available beginning February 1, from earlier years. The current service page specifically identifies the 2025 form as available from February 1, 2026. Do not mistake a page’s calendar date for the tax year printed on your document.

There is also a year-end availability limit: SSA’s operating instructions say replacement requests for the current statement are unavailable from mid-December through January 31, while historical statements for the previous five years remain accessible. If the year you need is missing, ask SSA about that year rather than choosing a different one.

If You Cannot Download a Copy

SSA offers automated phone help at 1-800-772-1213, available around the clock in English and Spanish. Request the tax statement when prompted. TTY assistance is available at 1-800-325-0778. You can also contact SSA for staff assistance or help through a local office; the replacement FAQ lists weekday staff telephone hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you live outside the United States and cannot obtain the form online, SSA directs you to a Federal Benefits Unit. Follow the official service page’s contact route. If you request a mailed copy, confirm the address SSA will use and ask when to follow up; this guide does not promise a delivery date.

Keep a Private Retrieval Checklist

Use these notes for your own records. They are an organizing aid, not a form to send to this website.

• Request: Who needs the document, what is it called, and which tax year did they request?
• Year check: Does the year printed on the downloaded statement match the request?
• Copy check: Can you open the saved file and read every page before your appointment?
• Storage: Keep the copy somewhere private. On a shared device, sign out and avoid leaving a downloaded statement behind.
• Follow-up: Note when you contacted SSA, what you asked for, and the next step you were given.

A Missing Copy and a Disputed Amount Are Different

If a figure seems wrong, identify the year and the specific entry you want explained. SSA’s instructions provide for staff to review a benefit statement against agency records. Request an explanation or correction from SSA; downloading another copy alone does not resolve a disagreement about the amount.

SSA distinguishes questions about its statement from IRS questions about whether benefits are taxable. For that separate task, read our tax records and reporting guide and use the IRS instructions for the year being filed. A replacement statement does not establish a refund, an exemption or your individual tax liability.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

General educational information, not individual tax or legal advice. Disability Benefit Guide USA is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or the IRS. This guide does not replace instructions for your own tax return or claim.

Official Sources and References

These SSA.gov links support the explanations above. Official applications, account services, and agency forms are completed through SSA.

1. SSA: Get A Tax Form — SSA.gov
2. SSA: Replacement Tax-Statement FAQ — SSA.gov
3. SSA: Replacement Benefit-Statement Procedures — SSA.gov
4. SSA: Questions About Tax Statements — SSA.gov
5. SSA: Benefit-Verification Letters — SSA.gov