Browsing: income

Q. Can you please provide a citation to your assertion that an annual leave payout is not considered earned income and cannot serve as the basis for IRA contributions? A. See the sections on what is, and what is not, compensation on Page 8 of IRS Publication 590. I believe it is considered deferred compensation, but in the end, how you should proceed is a question for your tax preparer.

Q. I work for the Defense Department. I have $75 biweekly going into the G Fund. I am in my early 30s and want to build my money. I don’t see it moving much in the G Fund, and I have been investing for four years. I can afford to invest $100 biweekly but don’t know what fund to put my money in for it to grow. My annual income is $38,780. A. Given your circumstances, I suggest that you invest all of your Thrift Savings Plan money in the L 2050 Fund for the foreseeable future.

Q. I am soon to be 65 and plan to retire within the year and have debt in the amount of $67,000. This is not including my home, car, etc. I have been considering withdrawing a large amount from my Thrift Savings Plan to pay this debt. With my pension and Social Security benefits, if I figured correctly, I would be bringing home about what I do now after taxes. I know it’s personal preference, but is it a wise decision? A. I can’t say if it’s the best course of action, but the debt needs to be paid. The…

Q. I received a 1099R from the Internal Revenue Service. They do not differentiate the annuity income from the supplement income. I’ve read the IRS Publication 721 tax guide to U.S. Civil Service Retirement benefits. There is no mention of the special retirement supplement. I called the IRS; they said they never heard of the supplement being treated like Social Security. They also advised me to report the income on the 1099R as is (do not separate the supplement from the regular annuity). If it is indeed to be reported like Social Security, how do I go about it without…

Q. I’m a little unclear on the Roth IRA vs. Roth TSP differences. I’ve been told that I can’t contribute to a Roth IRA since my adjusted gross income (married, filing jointly) is too high. Does that same rule apply to the Roth TSP? It seems to me, if I can go with the Roth TSP and max it out at the 2014 maximum of $17,500, I can also max out the Veterans Affairs Department contribution (which goes to my traditional TSP). A. The Roth IRA contribution limits do not apply to Roth TSP contributions. Separate and distinct rules apply…

Q. I did a partial withdrawal from my Thrift Savings Plan last year at age 60. How do I report the income on my tax return? Is it strictly income? Are there no capital gains to report? If there are gains, how do I determine what the gains were? A. You will receive a 1099 reporting the distribution, which will be taxed entirely as ordinary income.

Q. I am retiring the end of June with 30 years at my minimum retirement age (57). I will be collecting the special retirement supplement. Does any money I take out of my Thrift Savings Plan affect the SRS limit I can make that year? A. The offset to the SRS is for earned income, not TSP withdrawals, so there will be no effect.

Q. I retired under FERS two years ago, and I haven’t needed to touch my Thrift Savings Plan account so far. I am receiving Office of Personnel Management, Social Security and military retirements. I am 68½ years old. I just received a 100 percent Veterans Affairs Department disability award, which will change my taxable military retirement to a nontaxable VA retirement. I don’t think this will have any effect on my long-term life expectancy. I have determined that I do not want to elect an annuity on withdrawing from my TSP. I am considering immediately starting a monthly TSP withdrawal…

Q. If, during the course of my federal career, my income (filed either individually or jointly with my spouse) exceeds the maximum allowed under the Roth IRA rules, do I have to convert my Roth to a traditional IRA? Can you maintain an existing Roth regardless of your income? A. This limit only applies to new money contributions. It does not affect your ability to maintain an existing account.

Q. I’m planning on retiring this year at age 62 under FERS. I will have an outstanding Thrift Savings Plan loan balance of $16,000 and was not planning on repaying the rest of the balance and was needing to find out if the outstanding balance will be considered income and taxed with my other income for the year at the end of the year, since it will be tagged as taxable distribution? A. Yes, any loan balance outstanding 90 days after separation will be declared a taxable distribution at that time and reported as ordinary income for that year.

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