CSRS VCP: Voluntary Contribution Program – Part IV of IV by Ed Zurndorfer
Edward Zurndorfer-
This last of four columns discussing the CSRS Voluntary Contribution Program (VCP) examines how the VCP annuity is taxed. As discussed in a previous column, one withdrawal option for a VCP account is a VCP annuity.
Those CSRS or CSRS Offset employees who receive their VCP account in the form of a VCP annuity will have their VCP annuity treated separately from their regular CSRS annuity. Each year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sends CSRS annuitants a Civil Service Annuitant (CSA) 1099-R, showing how much of the annuitant’s CSRS annuity comes from the regular CSRS annuity and how much comes from the VCP annuity. The taxable and tax-free portions of the annuities are calculated according to the IRS’ Simplified Rule. The Simplified Rule worksheet is presented below. Note in the worksheet:
Line 2. “Cost in the plan” is the VCP annuitant’s total contributions to the VCP, all of which have been taxed.
Line 3: “Age at the annuity starting date” is the VCP annuitant’s age on the first VCP annuity payment date for a self-only annuity, as shown in Table 1. The “combined ages” are the ages of the VCP annuitant and the survivor VCP annuitant on the first VCP annuity payment date when a survivor annuity has been chosen, as shown in Table 2.
Line 3: Once the monthly “recovery of cost” is calculated (the number of monthly payments it takes to recoup the VCP participant to recover the total contributions made to the VCP), that number never changes.
The following example illustrates this:
During her 37 years of federal service, Carol contributed $75,000 to the VCP. When she retired on May 31, 2019, at age 60, Carol elected to receive a VCP annuity of $6,000 per year, or $500 per month. For 2019, Carol received six payments of $500 each for a total of $3,000. She wants to determine how much of her $3,000 payment is taxable. She uses the Simplified Method:
Annual tax-free portion: $1,452 (line 5)
Annual taxable portion: $1,548 (line 9).
SIMPLIFIED METHOD WORKSHEET (SOURCE: IRS PUBLICATION 721, which may be downloaded here)
| 1. Enter the total pension or annuity payments received this year. Also, add this amount to the total for Form 1040, line 16a; Form 1040A, line 12a; or Form 1040NR, line 17a | 1.________ |
| 2. Enter your cost in the plan at the annuity starting date. | 2.________ |
| 3. Enter the appropriate number from Table 1 below. But if the payments are for your life and that of your survivor annuitant, enter the appropriate number from Table 2 below. | 3.________ |
| 4. Divide line 2 by the number on line 3 | 4.________ |
| 5. Multiply line 4 by the number of months for which this year’s payments were made. If your annuity starting date was before1987, enter this amount on line 8 below and skip lines 6, 7, 10, and 11. Otherwise, go to line 6 | 5.________ |
| 6. Enter any amounts previously recovered tax free in years after 1986. This is the amount shown on line 10 of your worksheet for last year | 6.________ |
| 7. Subtract line 6 from line 2 | 7.________ |
| 8. Enter the smaller of line 5 or line 7 | 8.________ |
| 9. Taxable amount for year. Subtract line 8 from line 1. Enter the result, but not less than zero. | 9.________ |
| 10. Add lines 6 and 8. | 10.________ |
| 11. Balance of cost to be recovered. Subtract line 10 from line 2. | 11.________ |
| If your age on your annuity starting date was | Then enter on line 3 |
| 55 or under | 360 |
| 56–60 | 310 |
| 61–65 | 260 |
| 66–70 | 210 |
| 71 or over | 160 |
| If the annuitant’s and survivor annuitant’s combined ages on your annuity starting date were | Then enter on line 3 |
| 110 or under | 410 |
| 111–120 | 360 |
| 121–130 | 310 |
| 131–140 | 260 |
| 141 or over | 210 |
| 1. Enter the total pension or annuity payments received this year. Also, add this amount to the total for Form 1040, line 16a; Form 1040A, line 12a; or Form 1040NR, line 17a | 1. $3,000 |
| 2. Enter your cost in the plan at the annuity starting date. | 2. $75,000 |
| 3. Enter the appropriate number from Table 1 | 3. 310 |
| 4. Divide line 2 by the number on line 3 | 4. $242 |
| 5. Multiply line 4 by the number of months for which this year’s payments were made. If your annuity starting date was before 1987, enter this amount on line 8 below and skip lines 6, 7, 10, and 11. Otherwise, go to line 6 | 5. $1,452 |
| 6. Enter any amounts previously recovered tax free in years after 1986. This is the amount shown on line 10 of your worksheet for last year | 6. 0 |
| 7. Subtract line 6 from line 2 | 7. $75,000 |
| 8. Enter the smaller of line 5 or line 7 | 8. $1,452 |
| 9. Taxable amount for year. Subtract line 8 from line 1. Enter the result, but not less than zero. | 9. $1,548 |
| 10. Add lines 6 and 8. | 10. $1,452 |
| 11. Balance of cost to be recovered. Subtract line 10 from line 2. | 11. $73,548 |
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