Q. I recently retired from federal service. I began receiving my FERS annuity Jan. 1. My annuity is $3,190 gross, plus $1,195 special retirement supplement, minus $190.28 health insurance and $36.34 for dental/vision. I am single with no dependents. I am withholding $641 for federal tax purposes. My state has no income tax. I want to begin monthly distributions from the Thrift Savings Plan at $4,200 per month. How much should I elect to withhold to ensure that I am not hit with a substantial tax bill for tax year 2014? Assume no itemized deductions. A. I’m not in a…
Browsing: Special Retirement Supplement
Q. I will be 52 years old March 9. I am covered under FERS, and I have 31 years of federal service. If my base offers an early-out this year, I plan to take it. I have a substantial balance in the Thrift Savings Plan and would like to withdraw it in its entirety when I take the early-out so I can invest it in my daughter’s business. 1. Will I be penalized for withdrawing my TSP funds early? If so, how much? I know I will be taxed, and I am OK with that. My husband plans to keep…
Q. I am looking at retiring in January 2015. I will be 56 years old Oct. 15. I will have 30 years in as of Dec. 24. Waiting until the end of leave year to cash in all available annual leave. I am looking at cashing out my Thrift Savings Plan in a lump sum to pay off all debts. Will that income be considered part of earned income so that the special retirement supplement is reduced? If so, would it be in my interest to retire at the end of 2014 so that my annual leave hits that year…
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 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 am a federal air technician with the Air National Guard. I have 34 years in the Guard and 27 years as a federal full-time technician. I am in FERS and have a minimum retirement age of 56. I will be 53 this year. It has been communicated to me that I will probably not be retained this year, meaning that Dec. 31, 2014, I will be involuntarily retired, thus losing my full (technician) and part-time (traditional Guard) employment. When can I begin collecting my retirement pay, Social Security, Thrift Savings Plan? Are there any penalties if I was…
Q. I think I will be retiring Dec. 31, 2015 (under FERS) since my minimum retirement age is 56, and will reach it on Dec. 21, 2015. I will have 31½ years in federal civilian service. Can I start my Thrift Savings Plan monthly allotments right away (I have over $390,000 as a balance as of today) to supplement my 31 percent of salary from FERS retirement and special retirement supplement? A. Yes, you will be able to begin withdrawing from your TSP account as soon as TSP receives notice from your agency.
Q. I plan to retire next year with 35 years of federal service (FERS) at age 56, and eligible to receive a Thrift Savings Plan supplement of about $18,000 per year. Once I retire, I plan to work to earn approximately $38,000 per year. Of the earned income, I plan to contribute $17,500 to my 401(k) plan and an additional $5,500 toward the catch-up contribution. The remaining $15,000 will be reported as an earned income on my W-2 and Form 1040. I plan to earn $38,000 for the year, so that my supplemental income will not be deducted $1 from my…
Q. I took the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority on Jan. 31 at my minimum retirement age. I had 26 years at the Postal Service under FERS. After 16 years of marriage, I became a widow. The only income I have is my annuity and the special retirement supplement from the Office of Personnel Management. Will I be eligible to receive Social Security benefits from husband at 60, and will they end at 62? When I turn 62, my supplement will end. I have $190,000 in the L2020 fund. Would it be beneficial to me to start receiving money from my…
Q. Are monthly Thrift Savings Plan withdrawals counted against the earnings limit for the special retirement supplement? A. No.