In a news release Thursday, the Social Security Administration applauded passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, a massive tax and spending cuts package praised by Republicans as a win for the American people and a boost for the economy.

“The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits,” the Social Security news release states.

It’s an apparent attempt to affirm President Donald Trump’s pledge to end taxes on Social Security. The president signed the legislation Friday.

A summary of the impact on seniors on the White House website is titled “No Tax on Social Security is a Reality in the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The new law, however, doesn’t deal directly with Social Security payments. Rather, it provides an additional $6,000 federal income tax deduction for filers age 65 and older. The additional deduction rises to $12,000 for couples if both are 65 or older.

It’s effective from 2025 through 2028.

Also, the deduction phases out for individuals with incomes of more than $75,000 and couples earning more than $150,000.

For the sake of clarity, the new law should be described as a temporary tax break for some older Americans — not an elimination of taxes on Social Security. We’re not begrudging folks the tax break, or the president his legislative win, but the communication surrounding it should be accurate.

A celebratory message from Social Security that was emailed to many beneficiaries is confusing.

“The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples,” it states. “Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.”

Again, there is no provision in the new law that applies simply to Social Security benefits. Rather — as explained earlier — there’s a new temporary bonus tax deduction for filers age 65 and older.

Some Social Security recipients and seniors won’t get a new tax break. This includes Social Security beneficiaries who are ages 62 to 64. In addition, there are disabled workers who are younger than 65 and people who receive survivor benefits from Social Security who are younger than 65.

Also, many beneficiaries currently don’t pay income taxes because their tax exemptions and deductions exceed their taxable income. An analysis e White House’s Council of Economic Advisers shows that 64% of beneficiaries age 65 and over were in that category before the new law. Now that figure will rise to an estimated 88%.

As reported by CNBC, the new law raises the standard deduction for all taxpayers in 2025 to $15,750 for a single filer and $31,500 for a married couple filing jointly. For filers age 65 and older, the previous extra deduction of $1,600 per person will rise to $7,600. For couples 65 and older, it climbs to $15,200.

The expanded tax deduction for seniors applies to all income. There is no new provision for Social Security income. The statement sent by Social Security seems to suggest otherwise, but that’s not the case.

It should also be noted that the One Big Beautiful Bill may accelerate the threat of Social Security and Medicare insolvency. That’s because income taxation of Social Security benefits is deposited into the Social Security and Medicare trust funds, which are now poised to receive less revenue.

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Social Security and Medicare trustees previously estimated the programs would no longer have enough funds to pay full benefits in 2033. The new law moves that date into 2032, the nonpartisan, non-profit organization has estimated.

In Social Security’s news release, a statement from Commissioner Frank Bisignano gives no acknowledgement of that concern.

“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” Bisignano said. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned.”