You will need to report your business activity to Social Security.
When you first open your business, there are 2 things you need to report:
Social Security will use your estimate or Net Earnings from Self-Employment to determine if you are using Trial Work Period months, or if your work is above Substantial Gainful Activity Level (more than $1,620/month).
When you file your taxes, you’ll submit your business tax return to Social Security. When you first submit your tax return, expect for Social Security to do a work review. They will send you a form called the Work Activity Report to complete. They will use the information from the Work Activity Report, your tax return, your actual Net Earnings from Self-Employment, and the hours that you work to do your work review.
You can update your projections for Net Earnings from Self-Employment anytime; if your actual Net Earnings from Self-Employment are a lot different from what you expected, contact Social Security and let them know. If you earn above $1,620, let Social Security know as soon as possible.
You can use this template to report your business activity.
Business Activity Report for SSDI Beneficiary.pdf
<aside> <img src="/icons/checkmark_green.svg" alt="/icons/checkmark_green.svg" width="40px" />
To Do: Complete your Business Activity Report. You can mail it to your local office, drop it off at your local office, or call your local office and use it as a script to guide your conversation.
</aside>
Go to previous section: Work Incentive for Small Business Owners: Unincurred Business Expenses