Q. I have heard that some people are taking a monthly Thrift Savings Plan withdrawal that will have all funds sent to them over a period of 119 months (less than 10 years). Looking through TSP manuals, I haven’t figured out why yet. What are the advantages/disadvantages for this strategy? A. Check Page 3 of the notice at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf. Payments expected to last less than 10 years are eligible for rollover but subject to 20 percent mandatory withholding. I’m not sure that the advantage is.
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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…
Q. I will be retiring in May with 25 years of federal law enforcement service. I will be 50 years old and subject to penalties and taxes on a one-time, age-based partial withdrawal from my Thrift Savings Plan. If I withdraw $20,000 to take care of bills and home repair, how much should I request from my TSP account to cover the taxes and penalties? A. Your withdrawal will be subject to 20 percent minimum mandatory federal tax withholding, so to receive $20,000 from the TSP, you’ll need to request $25,000. The actual federal income tax, early withdrawal penalty and…
Q. I am an FERS employee and, for various reasons, have selected Nov. 28, 2015, as my retirement date, age 60+ with 21 years civil service and four years military, for which a deposit has been made. One of the many reasons that I selected this date was so that I could have a Thrift Savings Plan residential loan balance declared as a taxable distribution during the 2015 tax year, because I will have substantial withholdings by that time, and given my tax return history, would have a significant tax overpayment that would be useful in paying a portion of…
Q. I am a federal employee considering retiring at age 64. I want to withdraw my Thrift Savings Plan funds in one lump sum, which by then will be approximately $400,000. At what tax rate can I expect to be hit upon withdrawal? A. Your withdrawal will be subject to 20 percent federal tax withholding. Read the document at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf for more information.
Q. I recently lost my job and withdrew my entire Thrift Savings Plan savings. I know that there is a 20 percent penalty for early withdrawal that they took out. Also, another 10 percent penalty that they hit you with at the end of the tax year. Is there any way I can lessen the blow? Are there any exemptions that I could put that money to, such as paying of my son’s college loans, home improvement or repairs? A. The 20 percent taken from the distribution was withholding against your federal tax liability for the year of the withdrawal. The…
Q. I’m planning on a FERS retirement at the end of December 2014. At that time, I’ll have already met the minimum retirement age and will have credit for 32 years of service. I’ve read that I can withdraw funds from the Thrift Savings Plan without an early withdrawal penalty upon my retirement, and that approximately 20 percent will be withheld for federal taxes, but what I don’t know and can’t seem to find is the amount of money that will need to be paid to my state of residence, West Virginia. My plan is to use the money in…
Q. After entering retirement from CSRS, are Thrift Savings Plan funds withdrawn classified as income in addition to the 20 percent accessed at the time of withdrawal from the TSP account. Are there ways to avoid double taxation if they are taxed twice other than rolling over into an IRA or Roth IRA? A. The traditional TSP funds you withdraw are classified as ordinary income on your tax return. They are not subject to double taxation. The 20 percent withheld from your payment(s) is a deposit against your tax liability. If the distribution is not a required minimum distribution and you…
Q. I have to retire in 18 months. I plan on taking a lump sum and monthly allotment from my Thrift Savings Plan at retirement. I understand both of these will be taxed at 20 percent. I am thinking of taking a TSP loan for the amount I had planned on requesting as my lump sum prior to my retirement date, with the understanding that I won’t have the time to pay it back in full and that the amount I don’t pay back will be considered disbursed income. My reasoning is that having the funds now will allow me to…
Q. I am retired military, drawing Social Security. I am planning on retiring from the federal government soon. If I take all of my Thrift Savings Plan, how much will be taken out? I owe $10,000 on a TSP loan and know I should pay it off. If I pay the loan before taking money and I roll into an IRA, will my money then be tied in the IRA and I can’t use it? Also, I heard you can combine military pay with federal retirement. How does that work? A. Mike: If you withdraw your entire TSP balance after you retire,…