Q: I resigned my GS position (involuntarily) from an abusive work section situation in Utah and received a lump-sum payment. I have since acquired a new federal job. When I go to the Employee Benefits Information System Web site, it states 180 hours of leave, but the amount says “n/a.” So, I guess it is a one-time payment? A: Yes, it is a one-time payment. When you left government, you exchanged your accumulated hours of annual leave for cash. The site you went to reflects the fact that on the day you left government, you had a balance of 180 hours;…
Browsing: annual leave
Q: I will be retiring soon with more than 42 years of service. I have 8 3/4 months of saved up sick leave using the formula of 174 hours equals one month. I have earlier this year taken a few sick days. Can I convert the days I took to annual leave so as to restore my sick leave and give me nine months of sick leave to help increase my pension? A: You’ll need to check with you agency to see if they would be able to adjust your leave records and substitute annual leave for the sick leave that you actually…
Q: Could you tell me if the payout on Base Closure and Realignment Leave and the payout for annual leave is the same? I was told that the BRAC payout is taxed at a higher rate. A. Both are taxed at the same rate. The IRS considers lump-sum payments to be regular income, with deductions being taken out for federal taxes and, where applicable, state taxes and Social Security.
Q: If I retire Dec. 31, a Friday, my first annuity check would begin on Feb 1, 2011. However, I would lose credit for any leave accumulated in that last pay period because I did not work the full pay period, which ends Jan. 1, 2011. Is this correct? A: If Friday, Dec. 31, would be the last day of a pay period and you retire at the close of business, you would get credit for any annual and sick leave you earned during that pay period.
Q: I a Civil Service Retirement System Offset employee and I am trying to decide whether to retire Dec. 31, 2010, or Jan. 1 2011. I am in the Senior Executive Service and will have over 800 hours of annual leave for a lump-sum payout. If I retire Dec. 31, is that lump sum considered part of 2010 income or 2011? I believe I will not pay Social Security tax on the lump sum if it falls in 2010, since I usually have this covered by September of each year. A: Your lump-sum payment is considered to be earned income…
Q: I plan on retiring on Jan. 1, 2011. I am eligible to retire on Oct. 1, 2010. I am a Civil Service Retirement System Offset employee. I will have 30 years, 3 months of civil service and will be 60 years, 3 months of age. I have 240 hours of use-or-lose annual leave, and I will also have gained another 200 hours for the year. If I retire on Jan. 1, 2011, can I receive payment for my unused annual leave? I believe by doing this, I will receive a large lump sum payment and won’t be taxed until…
It’s not too late to retire in 2009, and it’s not too soon to at least begin planning to retire in 2010 or 2011. For this year and the next two years, the calendar is working in favor of many of you. Let me explain. As my regular readers know, my position is that there is no one best date to retire. However, each of you can pick the best one for you if you know how. First, you must figure out if you are ready to retire. To do that, you have to answer three questions: Do you meet…
Q: Mr. Jones answered a question on Dec. 2 (“Annual leave and returning to federal service”) pertaining to lump-sum payment for annual leave for one returning to federal service. The answer was: “As required by law, you will have to return every penny you received for annual leave that hasn’t expired between the time you retired, and the time you return to work.” Two questions: Can you provide citations to statute and/or regulations that require this result? And what does “hasn’t expired” mean? The leave year typically ends in early January. If you retire in July and return to work…
Q: I am retiring Jan. 2, 2010, and hope to return as a retired annuitant with dual comp waived. My human resources group tells me if I return that I will have to repay my annual leave lump sum unless I don’t return until after the period of time my leave hours would have been used up. Can this be right? Why does the government care about the annual leave payment? It’s like starting any second job — I should have no annual leave but should not need to return the payment. A: As required by law, you will have…
Q: I am a letter carrier in the U.S. Postal Service. How much annual leave can I “sell” back at retirement? A: Because you are a bargaining unit employee, you can only receive a lump-sum payment for any unused annual leave that does not exceed the carryover limit for your bargaining unit. As a rule, that limit is 440 hours.