Browsing: maximum contribution

Q. I understand that to make Thrift Savings Plan catch-up contributions, you are supposed to be making sufficient regular TSP contributions so that the maximum annual amount (currently $17,500) of regular TSP contributions will be reached by the end of the year. What happens if you begin contributing an amount per pay period at the beginning of the year that would result in the maximum regular and catch-up contributions by the end of the year assuming 26 pay periods? However, you retire in the middle of the year. This would result in making TSP catch-up contributions during the year without…

Q. Can I maximize my Roth TSP contribution ($17,000) and also contribute to a regular Roth mutual fund up to the $5,500 limit? A. Depends upon your marital status and income. Check IRS Publication 590 or ask your tax accountant for the answer.

Q. I plan to take a $50,000 residential loan from my Thrift Savings Plan account. Am I limited to repaying $17,000 a year (the contribution amount), or could I pay back $25,000 a year from my salary? A. You may repay the loan as quickly as you like.

Q. My husband will be retiring in June 2014. He will turn 50 in March 2014. Can we still contribute the full $17,500 plus $5,500 catch-up (I realize next year contribution limits may increase) even if he is only in for half a year? A. Yes, as long as his pay will support the deferrals. The limits are not adjusted for partial years.

Q. I am over 50, my wife (unemployed) is under 49. In 2013, if I contribute the maximum amount (including catch-up) of $23,000 to my Roth TSP and traditional Thrift Savings Plan, can I also contribute the maximum of $6,000 to a Roth IRA or traditional IRA for a total contribution of $29,000? Can I also contribute the maximum of $5,000 for my wife into a Roth IRA or traditional IRA for a total contribution of $34,000, assuming that I fall within the adjusted gross income limits as addressed by the Internal Revenue Service? If there are limitations on contributing to a…

Q. The Thrift Savings Plan allows contributions this year of $17,500 plus a $5,500 catch-up, whether to Roth or traditional IRA. Internal Revenue Service rules also allow (for certain income brackets) a Roth contribution of $5,000 plus $1,000 catch-up. Can a person over the age of 55 make the $6,000 Roth contribution allowed under IRS rules to a secondary Roth IRA and still make the difference ($13,000) in a contribution to the TSP? A. You are always free to make the full Roth TSP contribution. It’s your eligibility to make the Roth IRA contribution that may be limited, depending upon your tax…

Q. I am covered under CSRS. Can I still open an external Roth account and contribute the $6,000 maximum (plus catch-up)?  If so, how would contributing to the Roth TSP interact with contributing to the external Roth? A. The limits for the two are separate, but your eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA depends upon your tax return for the year. If your income is too high, your Roth IRA contribution eligibility will be phased out. There’s a worksheet in IRS Publication 590 that will help you determine your eligibility.

Q. I am a GS-14 criminal investigator with 16 years covered service, and I am expecting to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan for another 10 years or so before retiring. I have been contributing the TSP maximum for the past 10 years. What is your guidance with the Roth option? Should I scale back my TSP contribution to the 6 percent minimum to capture the matching contributions and invest the rest with the Roth option? A. Without a good reason to do otherwise, I prefer the tax-deferred contributions.

Q. I am a single FERS employee. In 2012 and prior years, I have been able to contribute the maximum amount to my Thrift Savings Plan account to bring my adjustable gross income below the income phase-out limit to be able to contribute the maximum to a Roth IRA.  However, in 2013, I believe my AGI will exceed the limit and I would like to take advantage of the Roth TSP option. If I contribute the maximum $17,500 to the Roth TSP, can I still invest in a traditional IRA? If so, can I take the IRA deduction even though I make…