Hurricane Relief as of February 7, 2006

Announcements

Financial Hardship In-Service Withdrawals: All participants who meet the eligibility requirements may take a financial hardship in-service withdrawal. Please note that the TSP will withhold 10% of the withdrawal for Federal income tax unless you waive this withholding by submitting IRS Form W-4P, Withholding Certificate for Pension or Annuity Payments, with the Form TSP-76, Financial Hardship In-Service Withdrawal Request (civilian) or Form TSP-U-76 (uniformed services). Extension of Second Financial Hardship In-Service Withdrawals to victims of Hurricanes Rita, and Wilma as well as Hurricane Katrina: The TSP will accept requests for a second financial hardship in-service withdrawal from victims of all three hurricanes. Hurricane victims may submit a Financial Hardship In-Service Withdrawal Request (see above) to the TSP to obtain funds even if it has been fewer than six months since they have taken a financial hardship in-service withdrawal (FHISW). Click here for more information. Tax Reporting: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued guidance regarding tax relief for persons who have already made or plan to make withdrawals from eligible retirement plans including the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Publication 4492, “Information for Taxpayers Affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma”, explains the major provisions of the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 and the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 including definitions of the covered disaster areas. Click here for additional information. Web Reminder: This Web site remains the most efficient way to request transactions. Consider whether you can complete your request through the Account Access portion of this Web site. Even if you can't finish the transaction because you need your spouse's signature or must send documentation, you can expedite your transaction by completing the form on-line and printing it. If you are requesting a loan, you can complete your application and receive your Loan Agreement on-line. This will save you a significant amount of time. Fax Number: We have introduced a toll-free fax number, 1-866-817-5023. You can help speed up processing by following these procedures: Fax only one copy of your request: Multiple faxes slow down the process. If you are faxing multiple forms, it is better to fax them separately. Do not fax the instruction sheets. If you are submitting a Loan Agreement, do not fax your TSP-20 or TSP-U-20 (loan application). This information is not necessary. Eliminate the cover sheet (if you must use one, put it behind the form). If you are faxing a form that you have completed on this Web site, don't print it in color. Use black or dark blue ink only and print clearly. Mail: Click here for the TSP mailing addresses.