Utah Senate committee approves bill to end state taxation on Social Security benefits
Mar 3, 2025, 1:00 PM | Updated: 1:06 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee voted Monday to approve a bill that would end state taxes on Social Security benefits in the Beehive State.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, would remove Utah from the list of nine states that still taxes Social Security benefits.
“It is taxable dollars that’s put in there. And then when it comes out, we’re taxing it again. We do not advocate here as a Legislature to put a tax on a tax.”
Utah currently offers a tax credit for seniors making less than $45,000 a year in individual taxable income and $75,000 a year in joint taxable income. Seniors whose income is under those thresholds and apply for the credit do not pay taxes on any of their Social Security dollars.
Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, voiced concern about the proposal in its first committee hearing Monday since he said roughly 80% of Utah seniors already qualify for the tax credit where their Social Security money is not taxed.
“All of the tax relief would go to the very wealthiest seniors. Who would get, in fact, a very large tax cut. Thousands of dollars,” Fillmore said, though he voted in favor of the bill.
The committee voted 4-2 to send the bill to the full Utah Senate, with Sen. Dan McCay, R-Salt Lake City, and Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, voting against it.
“I believe that this bill is morally wrong and we are hurting our children,” McCay said.
The bill needs approval from the full Senate and the full House by Friday to reach the governor’s desk.
Related: Utah Senate passes bill for the governor, senators to choose Utah Supreme Court’s chief justice
