You can ask that your retirement contributions be returned to you in a lump sum payment. Or, you can wait until you are retirement age to apply for monthly retirement benefit payments. If you get a refund of your retirement contributions now, you will no longer be eligible to receive monthly payments when you reach retirement age.

If you are leaving your Federal job and want a refund of your retirement contributions, you can get an application from your personnel office, complete it, and return it to them. If you are no longer in the Federal service, send us email and we will send you the form you need to apply. You should give us your name, mailing address and retirement plan.

If you contributed to the Federal Employees Retirement System, you will get interest on the refund of those contributions if you worked more than one year. Interest is paid at the same rate that is paid for government securities.

If you contributed to the Civil Service Retirement System while you worked, interest will be included in the refund of those contributions if you have more than one but less than five years of service. Interest is paid at three percent.

Your retirement contributions are not taxable, but interest included in the payment is taxable. http://www.irs.gov is the Internal Revenue Service web site for additional tax information.

The Internal Revenue Service considers the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System defined plans. You can rollover the taxable portion, which is the interest amount. If your interest is more than $200 you can request a direct rollover to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or other employer retirement plan that accepts these payments. If you choose not to rollover an interest payment of $200 or more, we will withhold Federal income tax at the rate of 20 percent. http://www.irs.gov is the Internal Revenue Service web site for additional tax information.

Generally, since your coverage under these programs effectively ended when you left Federal service, you cannot continue the coverage into retirement.