My father was a federal retiree and received a government pension until his death in 2009. My mother applied for and has been receiving a small survivor annuity since then. Because the yearly gross distribution is only about $3,000, it seemed easier to file as if it was fully taxable than try to do the Simplified Method worksheet. On the CSF 1099R, box 2a (Taxable amount) is ?Unknown.?

For 2015, I checked, and filing with it fully taxable adds over $400 to her tax liability. This is significant for a senior on a fixed income.

Do the questions on the Simplified Method worksheet refer only to my mother?s survivor annuity, or do I have to go through my father?s finances since he retired?

Is the ?cost in the plan at the annuity starting date? the amount in box 9b (Total Employee Contributions) from the CSF 1099R?

Hope you can help me out. Thank you.

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My father was a federal retiree and received a government pension until his death in 2009. My mother applied for and has been receiving a small survivor annuity since then. Because the yearly gross distribution is only about $3,000, it seemed easier to file as if it was fully taxable than try to do the Simplified Method worksheet. On the CSF 1099R, box 2a (Taxable amount) is ?Unknown.?====== as the annuity starting date is after November 18, 1996, you must use the Simplified Method Form CSF 1099Ris a variation of form 1099R used to report the distribution of retirement benefits such as pensions, annuities or other retirement plans. If you use taxsoftware, the taxable portion of the csf 1099R income will be calculated for you once you go through a "simplified method" worksheet. There's a little more to it than just subtracting your contributions from the amount you received, unless you received a total distribution of everything in the account.
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For 2015, I checked, and filing with it fully taxable adds over $400 to her tax liability. This is significant for a senior on a fixed income.

Do the questions on the Simplified Method worksheet refer only to my mother?s survivor annuity, or do I have to go through my father?s finances since he retired?---------- Retirement benefits accrued and payable to your fatherbefore death, but paid to your mother as a survivor, are taxable in the same manner and to the same extent these benefits would have been taxable had your father lived to receive them.
If your father reported the annuity under the Three-Year Rule and recovered all of the cost tax free, your mother annuity payments are fully taxable.


Is the ?cost in the plan at the annuity starting date? the amount in box 9b (Total Employee Contributions) from the CSF 1099R?========= This amount represents the total pension self-contributions your father made to the Plan. The amount he contributed toward his pension will only appear in this box the first time he receives a Form 1099-R from Central States.

Thank you for your help with this matter. The availability of my father's tax returns after retirement is doubtful. Can I obtain information from the IRS as to how much of my father's cost was recovered? By the way, box 9b (Form CSF 1099R), the total pension self-contributions my father made, has not changed. The amount on the 2015 CSF 1099R from the OPM is the same. Does this mean anything? Does the IRS supply information to the OPM regarding cost recovery?

Can I obtain information from the IRS as to how much of my father's cost was recovered? ======== You may request a Summary of Payments, show-
ing the amounts paid to her
from OPM by calling OPM's Retirement Informa-
tion Office at 1-888-767-6738. You will need your CSF
claim number and her social security number when you contact the irs.



By the way, box 9b (Form CSF 1099R), the total pension self-contributions my father made, has not changed. The amount on the 2015 CSF 1099R from the OPM is the same. Does this mean anything?================= no; If you think there is an error on the 1099-R, then you should contact the issuer and have them issue a corrected 1099-R if it is, in fact, incorrect.yu?d calculate pension exclusion;by USING THE BOX9B NUMBER as starting point. The amount is then used in conjunction with the estimated number of distributions you'll receive in your lifetime -- a figure the IRS provides on the worksheet based on your age -- to determine the amount of each distribution you receive tax-free
Does the IRS supply information to the OPM regarding cost recovery?====as mentioned above