By Mike Miles
Re-employment and TSP payments
May 9th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. If I start taking my retirement now at 62 — FERS, Thrift Savings Plan payments and Social Security — and end up being picked back up at some point in federal service: I understand my FERS benefits would be cut by the amount I make in a new job. What about TSP payments? Are they exempt from penalties of re-employment?
A. If you are rehired, your automatic monthly payments will stop and you will be subject to the in-service withdrawal rules.
Tags: age, FERS, in-service withdrawal, monthly, penalty, rehire, Social Security, TSP
Disability and tax deduction from TSP funds
May 6th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I recently retired from the federal government due to becoming permanently disabled at age 61. I received my disability approval from the Social Security Administration. I withdrew a portion of Thrift Savings Plan funds to cover expenses as a result of not being able to work. Why was 20 percent tax deducted from the distribution of funds at age 61 and with the legal purpose of being disabled?
A. Because that is the default federal income tax withholding rate for the distribution. The money has been applied toward your tax liability for the year.
Tags: age, deduction, Disability, distribution, Social Security, taxes, TSP, withholding rate
TSP withdrawal penalty
May 6th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. If I have left the federal government at age 57 and want to withdraw from my Thrift Savings Plan account, is there a penalty?
A. No.
Tags: age, penalty, TSP, withdrawal
Penalty on TSP withdrawal?
April 24th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. My age is 52. I worked 22 years in the Postal Service. I have a Thrift Savings Plan account and am now retired due to a disability. If I make a full withdrawal, will I be penalized?
A. Yes, unless you qualify for one of the exceptions listed on Page 7 of the notice at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf.
Tags: age, Disability, penalty, Postal Service, retirement, TSP, withdrawal
Age 55 exemption
April 24th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I have more than 20 years of service as a federal law enforcement officer and will turn 55 in 2014. I plan to retire under FERS from my agency this year, before my age 55, and immediately (with no break in service) become re-employed on a full-time basis with another federal agency. I understand that my salary during the period of re-employment will be offset by the amount of my FERS annuity, and that retirement deductions (including Thrift Savings Plan contributions) will be made from my re-employment salary. I understand further that I would earn a supplemental annuity upon termination of re-employment if I am re-employed for more than a year, and that I could alternatively elect a redetermined annuity if I am re-employed for at least five years.
However, if my re-employment terminates before I reach age 59½ (but well after 55), and I wish to make withdrawals from my TSP account at that time, how will the Internal Revenue Service calculate my “separation from service” date? That is, will the IRS consider that I “retired” in 2013, prior to age 55, and thus apply the 10 percent penalty for early TSP withdrawals? (That would effectively force me to lock myself into the life expectancy withdrawal option for a full five years after the termination of my re-employment period.) Or, would the IRS determine that I “retired” on the date of the termination of my period of re-employment – after age 55 – enabling me to withdraw from my TSP account penalty-free?
A. To the best of my knowledge, your TSP account, if it is kept going through the transition in federal employment, will be eligible, in its entirety, for penalty-free withdrawal under the “age 55 exemption.” But, you should consult a qualified tax accountant before you make any plans.
Tags: age, annuity, contributions, early withdrawal penalty, FERS, IRS, law enforcement, TSP
Penalty for transfer from former employer’s 401(k) to TSP
April 24th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. Your April 1 Money Matters article identifies the exception to the 10 percent penalty for early distributions for separation from federal service during or after the calendar year one reaches age 55. My question relates to funds transferred to my Thrift Savings Plan account from a former employer’s 401(k) plan. Does the exception apply to all funds contained in my TSP account, or just those funds contributed to the TSP in the normal course of my federal service employment — i.e., not counting funds transferred from a prior 401(k) account?
A. It applies to the contents of your TSP account, including transfers from other plans or accounts.
Social Security and tax deductions from annuity and TSP
April 22nd, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. When I retire, I will be 59½ and will have 30 years of service at the Postal Service. I will not have any earned income from that point on. I understand federal and state taxes will be taken out of my FERS annuity and any money I take out of my Thrift Savings Plan. Will I also have Social Security deducted from these two sources? Also, will my special retirement supplement and — when I turn 62, my SSI benefit — also be subject to federal and state taxes?
A. Mike: Your TSP withdrawals are subject to income taxation, but no employment taxes, like Social Security, Medicare or unemployment insurance.
Reg: Your special retirement supplement will be treated as ordinary income. To find out to what extent your Social Security will be taxable, see IRS Publication 721.
Tags: age, annuity, deduction, FERS, IRS, Medicare, Postal Service, Social Security, taxes, TSP, withdrawal
Avoiding early withdrawal penalty
April 22nd, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. I retired at age 52 from the Postal Service. When can I fully withdraw my money without a penalty? If I decide to receive monthly checks, when can I begin receiving them without any penalties?
A. Unless you qualify for one of the exceptions listed on Page 7 of the notice at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf, you’ll have to wait until you reach age 59½ to avoid the early withdrawal penalty.
Tags: age, early withdrawal penalty, Postal Service, retirement
401(k) distributions at age 55
April 9th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. So if I follow all the rules related to my current Thrift Savings Plan account, and I begin making systematic withdrawals under the annuity factor method at age 55:
1. Can I contribute to my new employer’s 401(k) while drawing from my TSP? (I may want to take a downscaled job and subsidize the lower income with my TSP distributions.)
2. Are any Internal Revenue Service restrictions in place regarding my Roth IRA because I am taking distributions from my 401(k) at age 55?
A. Yes, you may contribute to a 401(k) while taking distributions from your TSP account, and no, there are no special rules limiting Roth IRA contributions because you are taking withdrawals from your TSP or 401(k) account. Only the usual income limits apply.
Tags: 401(k), age, annuity, contributions, distribution, IRS, Roth IRA, taxes, TSP
TSP withdrawal
April 9th, 2013 | Uncategorized
Q. Can I withdraw my total funds from the Thrift Savings Plan without penalty at age 62?
A. Yes.
Tags: age, penalty, TSP, withdrawal