Tag Archives: 1099-R

tax

Taxes and Your NYSLRS Pension

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Tax season is here again.

In late January, NYSLRS mailed tax information to retirees (and some members and beneficiaries) so they can file their taxes.

1099-Rs

NYSLRS pensions are not subject to New York State or local income taxes, but in most cases they are subject to federal taxes. In January, we mailed 1099-R tax forms to almost 500,000 retirees who receive taxable benefits. We also mailed 1099-Rs to beneficiaries who received taxable income from NYSLRS in 2019, members who have taken taxable NYSLRS loans or have defaulted on their loans, and those who ended their membership and withdrew their contributions in 2019.

tax info - 1099-R tutorial

A 1099-R shows:

  • The total benefit paid to you in a calendar year.
  • The taxable amount of your benefit.
  • The amount of taxes withheld from your benefit.

If you didn’t get your 1099-R, you can request a reprint. This year, reprints will be available for calendar years 2017, 2018 and 2019. Your 1099-R will be mailed to the address we have on file for you. Sign in to Retirement Online to check or update your mailing address before requesting a reprint.

If you have questions about the information on the form, we feature an interactive 1099-R tutorial on our website. It walks you through a sample 1099-R and offers a short explanation of specific boxes on the form.

Changing Your Federal Tax Withholdings

If you need to make changes to your federal withholding, you can send us a W-4P form at any time. You can use this form to change your withholding status, increase or decrease the number of your exemptions, or request that an additional amount be withheld.

You can use our federal tax withholding calculator to see how these changes would affect your withholding.

Please note: If you change your withholding, it may take a few months before the changes are reflected in your pension payments. You can look up your current payment breakdown, including tax withholding, using Retirement Online.

Retiree Annual Statements Coming

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If you’re a NYSLRS retiree and received benefits in 2019, your Retiree Annual Statement should be coming in the mail soon, if you haven’t received it already.

The Retiree Annual Statement provides important information about your retirement account. You should keep your copy in a safe place.

couple reviewing their Retiree Annual Statement

What’s Inside Your Retiree Annual Statement

Your annual statement includes:

  • Your retirement number. To protect your privacy, use this number instead of your Social Security number when conducting business with NYSLRS.
  • Your monthly benefit before taxes, deductions and credits.
  • Your total net benefit for the year. (This is your benefit after taxes, deductions and credits.)
  • The total amount of any cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
  • Your total Medicare credits (if eligible).
  • Federal tax withholding and other deductions taken from your pension, such as union dues.
  • Health insurance premiums. (NYSLRS doesn’t administer health insurance benefits, but we deduct retiree premiums at the request of your former employer.)

Not a Tax Document

While your Retiree Annual Statement includes information about your benefit payments and tax withholding, it is not a tax document and should not be used for filing your federal income tax return. NYSLRS mailed 1099-R tax forms to retirees and beneficiaries in January.

If you need a reprint of your 2019 1099-R to file your taxes, you can order one online. Reprints will be mailed to the address we have on file for you, so if you’ve moved recently, you should check to make sure your contact information is up to date before requesting a reprint. The fastest way to check and update your address is with Retirement Online. From your account homepage, you can also let us know how you would like to receive information from NYSLRS by choosing your correspondence preference.

Staying Informed

News & Notes, our semiannual newsletter, will be included with your Retiree Annual Statement. The newsletter will help you keep up with the latest news about NYSLRS and other topics of interest.

Your Statement provides a snapshot of your NYSLRS account as of December 31, 2019, but you can get up-to-date information by signing in to Retirement Online. If you don’t already have an account, you can learn more or register today.

NOTE: when there is a change in your net benefit amount, NYSLRS will notify you by mail or email.

Taxes and Your NYSLRS Retirement Benefit

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Your NYSLRS retirement benefit isn’t subject to New York State or local taxes, but it is subject to federal income tax. Before you retire, take some time to think about how taxes could affect your retirement planning.

Will Your Pension Get Taxed in Another State?

While New York State won’t tax your NYSLRS retirement benefit, other states might. If you’re thinking of moving after retirement, you’ll need to consider the tax laws of the state you move to. The Retired Public Employees Association keeps a list of which states tax pension income on their website. And remember, if you do move, we’ll need your updated mailing address for our records.

Federal Tax Withholding Status for Your Pension

taxesAfter you’ve filed for retirement, we’ll reply back to you with a confirmation letter and some forms. One of these forms will be a W-4P form (Withholding Certificate for Pension or Annuity Payments). You’ll need to fill out this form to choose the amount you want withheld from your benefit each month for federal taxes. You can choose the withholding tax status that suits you, and you can change it any time afterward by completing a new W-4P form.

If you’re not sure how much you’ll need withheld for federal taxes, consider meeting with a tax professional to assist you before submitting the form. We also offer a federal tax withholding calculator on our website to help you plan.

Getting Your 1099-R

Once you start receiving your pension benefit, we’ll send you a 1099-R form for federal income tax filing purposes. A 1099-R form lists the distributions you’ll receive from your NYSLRS pension. We mail 1099-Rs out each year by January 31, so make sure we have your correct mailing address on file. This is especially important if you plan on moving in retirement.

We also feature an interactive 1099-R tutorial on our website. It can be a helpful tool to look at the first time you receive your 1099-R.

For more about taxes and your pension, please read our Tax Information About Your Pension FAQs.