SmartAsset and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Social Security plays a critical role in the retirement plans of millions of Americans, but how these benefits are taxed is sometimes overlooked. If you collect $2,700 per month in Social Security benefits, your check is well above the average retirement benefit of approximately $1,800 per month and it could mean that you’ll owe taxes on this money. However, there are ways to potentially reduce your tax li ...