He is 63, claimed Social Security early to smooth out the off-season, and still guides parties from September through November. His allowable expenses still matter: Social Security applies the earnings test to net self-employment earnings, not gross deposits. Once net earnings exceed the annual limit, Social Security withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 above it. Ray’s current Social Security checks can be affected by deposits for hunts he will not guide until next fall. At full retirement age, Social Security recalculates the monthly benefit to account for months in which checks were withheld.