The Foreign Service Journal, November 2012

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2012 65 You can calculate the taxable amount of your annuity each year by plugging that number into the worksheet included in the instructions to IRS Form 1040 or Form 1040A, or in IRS publication #721, “Tax Guide to U.S. Civil Service Retirement Benefits.” Those documents are available at www.irs.gov. Al ter- natively, you can use the Office of Personnel Management’s online calculator at apps.opm.gov/tax_calc/index.cfm. Each January you will be mailed a Form 1099-R showing your previous year’s annuity payments and tax withholding. Your 1099-R is also available on the Annuitant Express Web site at www.employeeexpress.gov. Keep the Senior Living Foundation in Mind If you know a Foreign Service retiree who is struggling financially, you can refer him or her to the Senior Living Foun- dation. The SLF is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization that assists retired Foreign Service members and their spouses with financial and other support to improve their quality of life. Support can take the form of monthly grants to cover costs, such as home health care or medical transportation, as well as one-time grants for items like hearing aids and wheelchairs. In addition, the foundation provides information and assistance in obtaining community, state, federal and private resources. For more information, contact the Senior Living Founda- tion of the American Foreign Service at (202) 887-8170 or info@ SLFoundation.org. Or visit www.SLFoundation.org. A Final Thought While many Foreign Service annuitants go years without needing to contact a Department of State office for assistance, we are here to serve should a retirement benefits issue ever arise. And on the topic of service, let me close by thanking each of you for your dedicated efforts to advance the vital national interests of the United States throughout your Foreign Service career. n If you know a Foreign Service retiree who is struggling financially, you can refer him or her to the Senior Living Foundation. Moving? Take AFSAWith You! Change your address online, visit us a t www.afsa.org/address_change.aspx Or Send change of address to: AFSAMembership Department 2101 E Street NW Washington, DC 20037