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My wife passed away in June. Our 2024 MFJ tax return was in the first IRMAA premium tier. The 2024 tax return will be the basis for my SS Part B fee including the IRMAA premium. My wife’s only income was SS and my projected 2026 MAGI will be reduced because of this. However, the main reason we were in the IRMAA Premium tier was that I did a $106k Roth conversion from my TIRA. How will this be dealt with now that I will be a single tax payer in 2026?
I will also file jointly in 2025 but do not expect to trigger any IRMAA premium based upon the MFJ brackets although I plan another Roth conversion. Will my 2027 SS Part B fee allow me to use my projected 2027 income or will it be based up our 2025 MAGI using the IRMAA single taxpayer brackets?
Hopefully, this makes sense and I hope to hear from our tax experts on this.
Jerry Pinkard
So sorry for your loss, Jerry.
Your 2026 IRMAA is based on your 2024 MAGI and your married filing jointly status for 2024, even though you will be single in 2026. If the only reason you hit an IRMAA bracket was your wife’s social security, then you could request an adjustment due to your loss and that would eliminate the 2026 IRMAA. But if your Roth conversion pushes you into the same IRMAA bracket anyhow, filing the form will not result in a change in your IRMAA assessment. (You can find the instructions to file at https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/lower-irmaa )
Your 2027 IRMAA will be based on your 2025 MAGI and status as married filing jointly for tax year 2025. Again, you mention a Roth conversion planned for 2025, so the 2027 outcome should be similar to the 2026 scenario.
A bigger change could occur with your 2028 IRMAA which will be based on your 2026 MAGI and your 2026 filing status as single. You’ll first see this hit when you prepare your 2026 return in early 2027. Tax brackets increase quickly for single filers, same for IRMAA brackets.
Because of that, you might consider increasing your conversion amount this year, while your tax brackets are still those of a married couple.
This is one of several financial errors I made in my first year as a widow. I didn’t make any IRA conversions (instead being sick, grieving, and busy with children). As a result now I’ll be dealing with higher tax rates and IRMAA brackets once I’m required to take RMDs.
It’s near impossible to do everything right when you are grieving, so be sure to cut yourself some slack. Sounds like you are doing most of the right things to minimize your taxes and your IRMAA. Again, sorry for your situation and good luck going forward.
Jerry – my sympathies. It sounds like you’re addressing what needs to be handled, but I hope you are doing OK.
Jerry, I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m no tax expert, but you can request relief from IRMAA surcharges based on a “life-changing event”, including death of a spouse: Request to lower an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) | SSA
Jerry, I’m guessing that SSA will remove your wife’s Soc Sec income from your 2024 return and recalculate your 2026 IRMAA using the single brackets. And same for 2025 return and 2027 IRMAA.
Some investigation shows my guess was wrong, and IRMAA will be based on your MAGI estimates.
You raise good questions Jerry, and I can see your concerns. The tax experts on HD should be able to have an answer. Sorry for your loss.
I don’t know anything about IRMAA, but wanted to say I am very sorry to hear about your wife’s passing, Jerry. Chris