The Social Security Administration (SSA) automatically
sends annual statements to workers and former workers. Taxpayers can also request statements at other times by completing Form SSA-7004, Request for Social Security Statement by calling 1-800-772-1213. All taxpayers should review their statements carefully. Any errors can be reported and corrected more easily the sooner they are found. 

Why is it important for my earnings record to be correct?

The amount of the Social Security benefit you or your family
receive depends on the amount of earnings shown on your
record. If all of your earnings are not shown on your record,
this could mean lower Social Security benefits for you or
your family.

How could earnings be missing?

If the earnings missing from your Social Security record
are for the current year or last year, you don’t need to
worry. Because these earnings are recent, we may
not have recorded them yet. They should appear on a
later statement.

However, earnings could be missing from your record for
earlier years for one of the following reasons:
• Your employer reported your earnings using the wrong
name or Social Security number.
• Your employer reported your earnings incorrectly.
• You got married or divorced and changed your name, but
never reported the change to Social Security.
• You worked using a Social Security number that didn’t
belong to you.

What should I do if earnings are missing?

If you discover earnings missing from your record, the first
thing you should do is find some proof of those earnings.

This proof could be:
• A W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement);
• A tax return;
• A wage stub or payslip;
• Your own wage records; or
• Other documents showing you worked.

How can Social Security help?

After you’ve gathered your documents or made a list of all of
the information you can remember, contact Social Security.
They’ll work with you to correct your record. This process could
take some time, depending on the information you bring to them
about your missing earnings. 

Contacting Social Security

The most convenient way to contact them anytime, anywhere is
to visit www.socialsecurity.gov. There, you can: apply for
benefits; open my Social Security account, which you can
use to review your Social Security Statement, verify your
earnings, print a benefit verification letter, change your direct
deposit information, request a replacement Medicare card,
and get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S; obtain valuable
information; find publications; get answers to frequently
asked questions; and much more.

If you don’t have access to the internet, they offer many
automated services by telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. Call toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard
of hearing.

Clergy Financial Resources serves as a resource for clients to help analyze the complexity of clergy tax law, church payroll & HR issues. Our professionals are committed to helping clients stay informed about tax news, developments and trends in various specialty areas.

This article is intended to provide readers with guidance in tax matters. The article does not constitute, and should not be treated as professional advice regarding the use of any particular tax technique. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information. Clergy Financial Resources and the author do not assume responsibility for any individual’s reliance upon the information provided in the article. Readers should independently verify all information before applying it to a particular fact situation, and should independently determine the impact of any particular tax planning technique. If you are seeking legal advice, you are encouraged to consult an attorney.

For more information or if you need additional assistance, please use the contact information below.

Clergy Financial Resources
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Maple Grove, MN 55369

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