5 C.F.R. PART 1600—EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION ELECTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION ALLOCATIONS
Title 5 - Administrative Personnel
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8351, 8432(a), 8432(b)(1)(A), 8432(j), 8474(b)(5) and (c)(1).
Source: 66 FR 22089, May 2, 2001, unless otherwise noted.
Definitions generally applicable to the Thrift Savings Plan are set forth at 5 CFR 1690.1. [68 FR 35494, June 13, 2003] (a) Contribution elections. A contribution election must be made pursuant to §1600.14 and includes the following types of elections: (1) To make employee contributions; (2) To change the amount of employee contributions; or (3) To terminate employee contributions. (b) Contribution allocation. A participant may make or change the manner in which future deposits to his or her account are allocated among the TSP Funds only in accordance with 5 CFR part 1601. [66 FR 22089, May 2, 2001, as amended at 68 FR 35494, June 13, 2003; 70 FR 32207, June 1, 2005] (a) An employee may make a contribution election at any time. (b) A participant must submit a contribution election to his or her employing agency. To make an election, employees may use either the paper election form provided by the TSP, or, if available from their employing agency, electronic media. If an electronic medium is used, all relevant elements contained on the paper form must be included in the electronic medium. (c) A contribution election must: (1) Be completed in accordance with the instructions on the form, if a paper form is used; (2) Be made in accordance with the employing agency's instructions, if the submission is made electronically; and (3) Not exceed the maximum contribution limitations described in §1600.22. (d) A contribution election will become effective no later than the first full pay period after it is received by the employing agency. [70 FR 32207, June 1, 2005] (a) Employees not previously eligible to receive agency contributions. An employee appointed or reappointed to a position covered by FERS who had not been previously eligible to receive agency contributions is eligible to receive agency contributions under the following rules: (1) If the effective date of the appointment is any day during the period June 1 through November 30, the agency contributions must begin the first full pay period of the following June; and (2) If the effective date of the appointment is any day during the period December 1 through May 31, the agency contributions must begin the first full pay period of the following December. (b) Employees previously eligible to receive agency contributions. An employee reappointed to a position covered by FERS who was previously eligible to receive agency contributions is immediately eligible to receive agency contributions. [70 FR 32207, June 1, 2005] (a) If an employee appointed to a position covered by CSRS elects to transfer to FERS, the employee may make a contribution election at any time. (b) Eligibility to make employee contributions, and therefore to have agency matching contributions made on the employee's behalf, is subject to the restrictions on making employee contributions after receipt of a financial hardship in-service withdrawal described at 5 CFR part 1650. (c) If the employee had elected to make TSP contributions while covered by CSRS, the election continues to be valid until the employee makes a new valid election. (d) Agency automatic (1%) contributions for all employees covered under this section and, if applicable, agency matching contributions attributable to employee contributions must begin the same pay period that the transfer to FERS becomes effective. [70 FR 32207, June 1, 2005] Employees may elect to contribute a percentage of basic pay or a dollar amount, subject to the limits described in §1600.22. The election must be expressed in whole percentages or whole dollar amounts. (a) Regular employee contributions. A participant's regular TSP contributions are subject the following limitations: (1) FERS percentage limit. The maximum employee contribution from basic pay for a FERS participant for 2005 is 15 percent. After 2005 the percentage of basic pay limit will not apply and the maximum contribution will be limited only by the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.). (2) CSRS and uniformed services percentage limit. The maximum employee contribution from basic pay for a CSRS or uniformed services participant for 2005 is 10 percent. After 2005 the percentage of basic pay limit will not apply and the maximum contribution will be limited only by the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. (b) Catch-up contributions. (1) A participant may make tax-deferred catch-up contributions from basic pay at any time during the calendar year if he or she: (i) Is at least age 50 by the end of the calendar year; (ii) Is making regular TSP contributions at a rate that will result in the participant making the maximum regular contributions permitted under paragraph (a) of this section; and (iii) Does not exceed the annual limit on catch-up contributions contained in the Internal Revenue Code. (2) Elections to make catch-up contributions will be separate from the participant's regular contribution election. (3) A participant who has both a civilian and a uniformed services account can make catch-up contributions to both accounts, but the total amount of the catch-up contributions to both accounts cannot exceed the Internal Revenue Code catch-up contribution limit for the year. (4) Catch-up contributions are not eligible for matching contributions. [70 FR 32207, June 1, 2005] (a) A participant who is entitled to receive (or receives) an eligible rollover distribution, within the meaning of I.R.C. section 402(c)(4) (26 U.S.C. 402(c)(4)), from an eligible employer plan or a rollover contribution, within the meaning of I.R.C. section 408(d)(3) (26 U.S.C. 408(d)(3)), from a traditional IRA may cause to be transferred (or transfer) that distribution into his or her existing TSP account. This option is not available to participants who have already made a full withdrawal of their TSP account after separation from service or who are receiving monthly payments. (b) The only balances that the TSP will accept are balances that would otherwise be includible in gross income if the distribution were paid to the participant. The TSP will not accept any balances that have already been subjected to Federal income tax (after-tax monies) or balances from a uniformed services TSP account that will not be subject to Federal income tax (tax-exempt monies). [67 FR 17604, Apr. 11, 2002] (a) Trustee-to-trustee transfer. Participants may request that the administrator or trustee of their eligible retirement plan transfer any or all of their account directly to the TSP by executing and submitting a Form TSP-60 or TSP-U-60, Request for a Transfer Into the TSP, to the administrator or trustee. The administrator or trustee must complete the appropriate section of the form and forward the completed form and the distribution to the TSP record keeper. (b) Rollover by participant. Participants who have already received a distribution from an eligible retirement plan may roll over all or part of the distribution into the TSP in accordance with the following requirements: (1) The participant must complete Form TSP-60 or TSP-U-60, Request for a Transfer Into the TSP. (2) The administrator or trustee of the eligible retirement plan must certify on the Form TSP-60 or TSP-U-60 the amount and date of the distribution. (3) The participant must submit the completed Form TSP-60 or TSP-U-60, together with a certified check, cashier's check, cashier's draft, money order, treasurer's check from a credit union, or personal check, made out to the “Thrift Savings Plan,” for the entire amount of the rollover. A participant may roll over the full amount of the distribution by making up, from his or her own funds, the amount that was withheld from the distribution for the payment of Federal taxes. (4) The transaction must be completed within 60 days of the participant's receipt of the distribution from his or her eligible retirement plan. The transaction is not complete until the TSP record keeper receives the Form TSP–60 or TSP–U–60, executed by both the participant and administrator, trustee, or custodian, together with the guaranteed funds for the amount to be rolled over. (c) Participant's certification. When transferring a distribution to the TSP by either a trustee-to-trustee transfer or a rollover, the participant must certify that the distribution is eligible for transfer into the TSP, as follows: (1) Distribution from an eligible employer plan. The participant must certify that the distribution: (i) Is not one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments made over the life expectancy of the participant (or the joint lives of the participant and designated beneficiary, if applicable) or for a period of 10 years or more; (ii) Is not a minimum distribution required by I.R.C. section 401(a)(9) (26 U.S.C. 401(a)(9)); (iii) Is not a hardship distribution; (iv) Is not a plan loan that is deemed to be a taxable distribution because of default; (v) Is not a return of excess elective deferrals; and (vi) If not transferred or rolled over, would be includible in gross income for the tax year in which the distribution is paid. (2) Distribution from a traditional IRA. The participant must certify that the distribution: (i) Is not a minimum distribution required under I.R.C. section 401(a)(9) (26 U.S.C. 401(a)(9)); and (ii) If not transferred or rolled over, would be includible in gross income for the tax year in which the distribution is paid. [67 FR 17604, Apr. 11, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 35495, June 13, 2003] (a) All funds transferred to the TSP pursuant to §§1600.31 and 1600.32 will be treated as employee contributions. (b) All funds transferred to the TSP pursuant to §§1600.31 and 1600.32 will be invested in accordance with the participant's contribution allocation on file at the time the transfer is completed. (c) Funds transferred to the TSP pursuant to §§1600.31 and 1600.32 are not subject to the limits on contributions described in §1600.22.
Title 5: Administrative Personnel
PART 1600—EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION ELECTIONS AND CONTRIBUTION ALLOCATIONS
Section Contents
§ 1600.1 Definitions.
§ 1600.11 Types of elections.
§ 1600.12 Contribution elections.
§ 1600.13 Timing of agency contributions.
§ 1600.14 Effect of transfer to FERS.
§ 1600.21 Contributions in whole numbers.
§ 1600.22 Maximum contributions.
§ 1600.31 Accounts eligible for transfer.
§ 1600.32 Methods for transferring eligible rollover distribution to TSP.
§ 1600.33 Treatment accorded transferred funds.
Subpart A—General
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§ 1600.1 Definitions.
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Subpart B—Elections
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§ 1600.11 Types of elections.
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§ 1600.12 Contribution elections.
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§ 1600.13 Timing of agency contributions.
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§ 1600.14 Effect of transfer to FERS.
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Subpart C—Program of Contributions
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§ 1600.21 Contributions in whole numbers.
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§ 1600.22 Maximum contributions.
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Subpart D—Transfers From Other Qualified Retirement Plans
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§ 1600.31 Accounts eligible for transfer.
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§ 1600.32 Methods for transferring eligible rollover distribution to TSP.
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§ 1600.33 Treatment accorded transferred funds.
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