§ 404.455. Request by Social Security Administration for reports of earnings and estimated earnings; effect of failure to comply with request.

(a) Request by Social Security Administration for report during taxable year; effect of failure to comply. The Social Security Administration may, during the course of a taxable year, request a beneficiary to estimate his or her earnings (as defined in § 404.429) for the current taxable year and for the next taxable year, and to furnish any other information about his or her earnings that the Social Security Administration may specify. If a beneficiary fails to comply with a request for an estimate of earnings for a taxable year, the beneficiary's failure, in itself, constitutes justification under section 203(h) of the Act for a determination that it may reasonably be expected that the beneficiary will have deductions imposed under the provisions described in § 404.415, due to his or her earnings for that taxable year. Furthermore, the failure of the beneficiary to comply with a request for an estimate of earnings for a taxable year will, in itself, constitute justification for the Social Security Administration to use the preceding taxable year's estimate of earnings (or, if available, reported earnings) to suspend payment of benefits for the current or next taxable year.

(b) Request by Social Security Administration for report after close of taxable year; failure to comply. After the close of his or her taxable year, the Social Security Administration may request a beneficiary to furnish a report of his or her earnings for the closed taxable year and to furnish any other information about his or her earnings for that year that the Social Security Administration may specify. If he or she fails to comply with this request, this failure shall, in itself, constitute justification under section 203(h) of the Act for a determination that the beneficiary's benefits are subject to deductions as described in § 404.415 for each month in the taxable year (or only for the months thereof specified by the Social Security Administration).

[56 FR 11373, Mar. 18, 1991]