What portion of Deborah's social security benefits is taxable?

To determine what portion of Deborah's social security benefits is taxable, several key factors come into play, including the individual's filing status and combined income.

The IRS uses a formula that involves comparing combined income (which includes adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest and half of the social security benefits) to specific thresholds. For single filers, if combined income exceeds $25,000, up to 50% of social security benefits may be taxable. If it exceeds $34,000, up to 85% could be taxable.

In this case, arriving at the conclusion that $11,900 of Deborah's social security benefits is taxable likely indicates that her total combined income was above the lower threshold but not exceeding the higher threshold. As such, this amount reflects the proportion of her benefits that are subject to taxation according to IRS rules.

It's essential to consider individual calculations of combined income and the pertinent thresholds to deduce the correct taxable amount of social security benefits.