There are certain aspects of Social Security that tend to catch seniors off-guard. For one thing, some recipients wind up surprised at how little income they receive from Social Security. Others, meanwhile, are often shocked to learn that Social Security benefits can, in many cases, be subject to taxes. Whether your benefits will be subject to federal taxes will depend on what your total retirement income looks like. Generally, if Social Security is your only source of retirement income, you'll avoid paying taxes on it. But federal taxes aren't the only thing you'll need to worry about once you start collecting Social Security. Depending on where you retire, you may be subject to state taxes on your benefits as well. Image source: Getty Images. Most states don't tax Social Security The good news is that right now, there are only 13 states that impose their own tax on Social Security benefits: Colorado Connecticut Kansas Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Mexico North Dakota Rhode Island Utah Vermont West Virginia This means that in these 37 states, those taxes do not apply: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Wisconsin Wyoming Another thing worth noting is that come next year, West Virginia will stop taxing benefits, bringing the total number of states with no Social Security tax to 38. Should you retire to a state that doesn't tax benefits? Avoiding taxes on your Social Security income may be important to you, especially if you expect those benefits to constitute your primary income stream. But before you make a point to avoid those 13 (soon to be 12) states that do tax benefits, there are other factors it pays to look at. For one thing, look at each state's cost of living. You may find that while some states do tax benefits, they also offer much less expensive housing and lower living costs on a whole. And those factors may work to your financial benefit in retirement more so than a lack of taxes. Another thing to consider is that most of the states that do tax benefits offer some type of exemption for lower earners. This means that if Social Security is your primary or sole income source, your benefits may not actually be taxed after all, even if there is a state tax in place. Do your research Taxes on Social Security benefits aren't the sort of thing that should catch you by surprise. It pays to read up on how Social Security works to make sure you understand the ins and outs of your benefits. Incidentally, it's easy enough to get an estimate of your monthly benefit well ahead of retirement so you know what to expect. All you need to do is create an account on the Social Security Administration's website and access your annual earnings statements, which will summarize your yearly wages and give you a sneak peek at your future benefit. The $16,728 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,728 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source