Q. I retired at the end of 2011 as a Federal Employees Retirement System employee. To get most of my retirement, I needed to redeposit for several years of military service, and also for a period of prior federal service. Because I did not have the money to pay it at the time, nor did I want to remain working until I could amass that amount, I withdrew my Thrift Savings Plan at age 59½ and paid most of the money to the Office of Personnel Management. The amount it withheld for taxes was in excess of the amount I was taxed for the withdrawal. Does the redeposit qualify as some kind of retirement contribution for tax purposes or possibly as a job-related expense?
A. I’m not aware of any tax break for the redeposit. Check with a certified public accountant to be sure, though.
