White House repeats 'zero tax' Social Security pitch in Ohio, but the tax remains

On Wednesday, President Trump held a rally in Ohio. That same day, the White House put out a release about what it called his record of results for the state. Under the heading No Tax on Social Security, it said more than 1.5 million Ohio seniors benefited from a new senior deduction in 2026, with the average senior expected to pay zero federal taxes on Social Security benefits. ¹

The White House made the same promise in June 2025, before Trump's tax law passed. Fact-checkers rejected it then ². Tax experts still say the law did not end federal income tax on Social Security benefits ⁴⁵.

What the White House said, then and now

On June 29, 2025, Trump went on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures and listed what he said the bill would deliver ².

no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime.

A White House press release that day said the bill, combined with other deductions, ensures the average Social Security beneficiary will pay zero taxes on Social Security. The next day, PolitiFact rated Trump's claim Mostly False ².

From Channel GOPTrump insults NBC reporter over abuse allegations questionDonald Trump · captioned, with the source named

The Oct. 28 release makes the same promise. Trump spoke that evening at Ohio University's Shoemaker Center in Chillicothe. He was there to boost Sen. Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for governor, with Election Day on Tuesday ¹⁸.

What the law actually does

The IRS says that from 2025 through 2028, people age 65 and older can take an extra $6,000 deduction, or $12,000 for a married couple if both spouses qualify. It comes on top of the existing senior standard deduction. It starts to shrink once modified adjusted gross income (roughly, your total taxable income) passes $75,000 for single filers or $150,000 for joint filers ³. It phases out at higher income levels ².

The deduction depends on your age, not your Social Security check. "It's much more age-based than it is Social Security-based," financial planner Franklin Gay told CBS News Miami. Asked whether "no taxes on Social Security" was accurate, he said, "I would say not." ⁵

Some beneficiaries get nothing from it. That includes retirees aged 62 to 64, who were about 5% of retired beneficiaries in December 2024. It also leaves out disabled workers under 65 and survivors of deceased workers who are under 65 ².

The old rules for taxing benefits are still in place. A single person with "combined income" (adjusted gross income, plus tax-free interest, plus half of Social Security benefits) between $25,000 and $34,000 may owe tax on up to 50% of benefits. Above $34,000, it is up to 85%. For couples, the cutoffs are $32,000 and $44,000. These limits do not rise with inflation ⁴. Seniors below them already paid no tax on benefits, so the deduction does nothing for them ⁴.

Then there are the numbers. Thomas Barthold, chief of staff of Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation, said about 27 million tax returns would owe tax on Social Security benefits in 2026 without the new deduction. With it, about 24 million still would ². The Tax Policy Center estimated that fewer than half of older adults would benefit at all ⁴.

Even those who benefit won't necessarily see zero taxes; they'll just see fewer taxes

The White House's "zero tax" figure comes from its Council of Economic Advisers. The council estimated that the share of seniors whose deductions are larger than their Social Security income would rise to 88%, up from 64% under the old law ⁴. In plain terms, many seniors would owe less, and some would owe nothing. But owing less is not the same as the tax being gone.

The Social Security email fight

The claim has caused confusion before. On July 3, 2025, the Social Security Administration sent beneficiaries an email saying "nearly 90%" would no longer pay tax on benefits. Experts said that was inaccurate, and the agency later issued a correction ⁴.

Rep. John Larson of Connecticut and every Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax law, demanded that Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano correct the record. They said the email went to more than 90 million people ⁶.

As you well know, the bill does not eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits

Why Ohio, and why now

That matters because older Ohioans could decide two close races. An AARP poll in June had Democrat Sherrod Brown ahead of Husted 48% to 45% among likely voters. Voters 50 and older favored Husted by 8 points, but older swing voters favored Brown by 7. Among voters 50 and older, 83% said candidates' positions on Social Security will make a difference in how they vote ⁷.

For older swing voters, our poll finds that Social Security is one of the top issues deciding their vote.

The pattern is a temporary tax break sold as a permanent end to the tax. The deduction ends after 2028 unless Congress acts ³. The release's Social Security line does not mention that ¹. The break also costs Social Security money. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated it cuts taxes on benefits by about $30 billion a year. That moves the date the retirement trust fund runs dry from early 2033 to late 2032, the group estimated ⁴.

The Record

1. Jun 29, 2025Trump says on Fox News the bill means 'no tax on Social Security'. A White House release says the average beneficiary will pay zero taxes on benefits ²
2. Jun 30, 2025PolitiFact rates Trump's 'no tax on Social Security' claim Mostly False ²
3. Jul 16, 2025Rep. John Larson and Ways and Means Democrats demand Social Security correct a July 3 email saying benefits would no longer be taxed ⁶
4. Feb 27, 2026IRS publishes guidance on the extra $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older, in effect for 2025 through 2028 ³
5. Oct 28, 2026White House release for Trump's Ohio rally says the average senior will pay zero federal taxes on Social Security benefits ¹

Sources

1. The White House, “President Trump Returns to Ohio With a Record of Results” (2026-10-28). whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/10/president-trump-returns-to-o
2. PolitiFact, “Trump says 'no tax on Social Security' with reconciliation bill. That's not true for everyone.” (2025-06-30). politifact.com/factchecks/2025/jun/30/donald-trump/trump-tax
3. IRS, “Check your eligibility for the new enhanced deduction for seniors” (2026-02-27). irs.gov/node/156821
4. CNBC via NBC Chicago, “'Big beautiful bill' may help some seniors on Social Security. But it doesn't eliminate taxes on benefits” (2025-07-07). nbcchicago.com/news/business/money-report/big-beautiful-bill
5. CBS News Miami, “New tax deduction in "big, beautiful bill" misunderstood by many, experts say” (2025-07-10). cbsnews.com/amp/miami/news/new-tax-deduction-in-big-beautifu
6. Office of Rep. John B. Larson, “Larson and Ways and Means Democrats Demand Social Security Administration Correct the Record After Sending Misleading, Partisan Email” (2025-07-16). larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-and-ways
7. AARP, “New AARP Ohio Poll: 50+ Voters Key in Tight Senate, Governor Races” (2026-06-25). aarp.org/press/releases/2026-06-25-ohio-poll-50-voters-key-t
8. WCMH NBC4 via Yahoo News, “Trump rallies in Chillicothe, touts Husted, Ramaswamy ahead of Tuesday election” (2026-10-28). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-visits-ohio-live-upda

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