Q. I receive FERS benefits but am now applying for Social Security, which will be my main retirement. I got to a question on the application process that asks whether I ever earned money where FICA was not taken out. I worked for two and parts of two other year for Gallaudet College, which was at the time a quasi-government and Civil Service. Those earnings do not appear on my Social Security statement of benefits I assume for that reason. I took the retirement in a lump sum when I left that position. I was federally employed (FERS and Social…
Browsing: FICA
Q. I am a retired pure CSRS employee working part time as a rehired annuitant with no annuity offset. I am coming to the end of my third year. When I first began working, HR was not taking out FICA. Two years ago, HR said it had been told at some payroll class that it should be taking out FICA, so it started doing so. About 12 months later, HR sent a demand letter for the FICA it had failed to collect in the beginning. I filled an appeal immediately and have heard nothing. Three of us here are in…
Q. I am retiring under CSRS offset. In 2007, I worked as a temporary employee for four months. During that time I paid FICA, but not the additional 0.8 percent toward my retirement. OPM states that I need to pay the full 7 percent to get full credit toward my retirement. Given that the CSRS offset contribution is 7 percent, divided by 6.2 percent toward FICA and 0.8 percent toward CSRS, wouldn’t paying an additional 7 percent be a double payment toward FICA? Shouldn’t I just be liable for the 0.8 percent deposit? If I must pay a full 7…
Q. I worked for a little more than five years as a full-time federal employee under FERS. I paid FICA taxes. I became entitled to a small pension under FERS. Will my Social Security benefit be reduced because of this pension entitlement? A. No.
Q. In what year did the Air Force start deducting FICA from military pay? A. Every branch of service began doing that Jan. 1, 1957.
Q. I am a 62-year-old federal police officer. I have over 33 years of combined military and civilian time. I have an adjusted service computation date of Jan. 4, 1978, and I have FICA, CSRS (partial) and FERS offset. Promotions and upward mobility are few and far between in my job series, not to mention reaching a “high- 3.” I am contemplating retirement. However, since we no longer have a local human resources department to assist us, I am writing to ask if you can advise me. A. It doesn’t make any difference what level of income is used, the…
Q. I started in the government on Feb. 21, 1984, as a full-time equivalent temporary employee not to exceed one year but managed to get another job in November of that year — FTE, 18 months to three years — which became a permanent job. FICA was being taken out of my pays. What will be my service computation date for retirement purposes? I will have 29 years next month and be 56 years old. My personnel office is telling me January 1987. I am under FERS. A. Your agency is correct. Unless you make a deposit for that period of…
Q. I was CSRS for seven years, reassigned in 1983 and was rehired 10 months later (1984) as a temp under FICA. Three months later, I got a new career appointment and was put under CSRS. Now I’m 55 and requested my retirement estimate and was told that for 29 years, I’ve been under CSRS but should have been under Offset. Is this a bad hit for me, or will I break even? My human resources office is avoiding me and my calls. A. It is your agency’s responsibility to work with you on this. It has no choice. The…
Q. I am 65 years old, have 30 years continuous military service and am retired, so I know I will get Social Security next year if I choose. However, I also now have 10 years continuous civilian federal service. My SF-50 indicates FERS-FICA. I am in a full-time indefinite status but have been a GS for three straight years and in NSPS status for two years following that. There have been no breaks in service. I also contribute 7 percent to TSP. If I retire from federal service next year, what, if any, are the retirements benefits under FERS-FICA excluding…
Q. I recently retired from a federal ARS position having 35 years, three months and nine days of creditable service. I was informed for the first time to pay an accrued interest of $955 for FICA service ($529) for a period when I was first employed back in 1976, which I did. I have requested that OPM review this interest charge, but I have not gotten a response. This service period doesn’t appear to me to have been included in computing my CSRS computation service for retirement or my buyout payment — which I find questionable. Because I was never…