Finance Problems

[pbar]

So I'll engage in a little sport bitching here; I just got hit with a $17K bill from the gov't from my recent deployment. After looking at my voucher, the lodging portion of the flat rate per diem had been removed by the local finance people. So I went VFR direct to ask WTF and the SrA said flat rate per diem only applies to PCSing and that you always have to provide lodging receipts. Is it too much to ask for the Finance folks to know the Joint Travel Regulation which explains the flat rate per diem and says lodging receipts are not required for that? It was a different airman than the one that changed my voucher so it was not a single instance of a clueless airman. I was amazed to have to explain their own regulation to them. Why aren't their NCOs teaching them that stuff? The SrA said he'd never heard of flat rate per diem for deployments.

[HossHarris]

Welcome to the usaf

[HU&W]

So I'll engage in a little sport bitching here; I just got hit with a $17K bill from the gov't from my recent deployment. After looking at my voucher, the lodging portion of the flat rate per diem had been removed by the local finance people. So I went VFR direct to ask WTF and the SrA said flat rate per diem only applies to PCSing and that you always have to provide lodging receipts. Is it too much to ask for the Finance folks to know the Joint Travel Regulation which explains the flat rate per diem and says lodging receipts are not required for that? It was a different airman than the one that changed my voucher so it was not a single instance of a clueless airman. I was amazed to have to explain their own regulation to them. Why aren't their NCOs teaching them that stuff? The SrA said he'd never heard of flat rate per diem for deployments.

Except... Although DOD policy is to not require receipts, AF has said that receipts are required to document the type of lodging used. Quick google-fu for the af.mil article. I've got the policy letter at work somewhere and it says the same thing.

[Bode]

Thread bump:

Anyone know if finance is currently paying apartment rent if you submit a lost receipt form? I had a voucher get rejected because I didn't submit receipts for my rent. I submitted my lease and a ledger from the apartment front office along with bank statements. I just resubmitted it with the lost/missing receipt form, however the form reads like it is intended for lost hotel receipts. This was for a TDY to LRAFB.

Excel can make one hell of a receipt. Just get it signed my the apartment manager and you should be able to use that. I've done it before to show a daily rate when I paid a monthly rate.


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[Snirifle]

Did a little searching in the forums didnt find a recent answer regarding Hostile fire pay- 

Is anyone receiving it for current flight ops in a country who may or may not share a border with Jordan Iraq and Turkey?  We are currently being told to record days we fly in theatre so we can receive a pro rated IDP of $7.50 per day. I'm not looking to debate whether or not it is deserved but rather what the norm is for those currently operating in that AOR.

Reading through the 7000.14 ch 10 it seems like it could be justified but currently our crews are prohibited from filing for it.

[Herk Driver]

Did a little searching in the forums didnt find a recent answer regarding Hostile fire pay- 

Is anyone receiving it for current flight ops in a country who may or may not share a border with Jordan Iraq and Turkey?  We are currently being told to record days we fly in theatre so we can receive a pro rated IDP of $7.50 per day. I'm not looking to debate whether or not it is deserved but rather what the norm is for those currently operating in that AOR.

Reading through the 7000.14 ch 10 it seems like it could be justified but currently our crews are prohibited from filing for it.

What you were told is what people I know are doing. I forget the form number. I'm sure someone will chime in.

[cragspider]

The form that HD is referring to is an 1881. Just put the dates on it and the required info stating what chapter is is under and submit to your local friendly finance office. 

Edited August 24, 2015 by cragspider
Corrections

[rulk88]

The form that HD is referring to is an 1881. Just put the dates on it and the required info stating what chapter is is under and submit to your local friendly finance office. 

Our finance office also requires a copy of the travel voucher and/or orders for the dates you claim HDP for.

[TarHeelPilot]

I was active duty all of 2015. I pulled my 1095-C from mypay, and it shows I was covered for all of the year, but my spouse was only covered for January.  This is clearly an error, as she was covered by TriCare.  Has anyone else discovered a similar error on their 1095-C?

[Danger41]

This isn't a "problem" per se, but wasn't sure where to put this post.  I recently returned from 2 TDY's.  The first voucher I filled out normally via DTS and everything was fine, payment received NBD.  The second one, the organization wanted a voucher in the old 1351-2 form. I filled that out, haven't seen the balance show up on my GTC, but today in my checking account I received $1700 titled "DCD Misc Pay". 

My questions are:

1. WTF is DCD Misc Pay?

2. I didn't put any kind of split disbursement on the 1351-2 and never gave that group my checking account info.  Could they just pull it from my SSN on the form and send money into my checking account instead of dumping it all into the GTC?

3. Where's the nearest casino that will accept $1700 bets?

[Herk Driver]

This isn't a "problem" per se, but wasn't sure where to put this post.  I recently returned from 2 TDY's.  The first voucher I filled out normally via DTS and everything was fine, payment received NBD.  The second one, the organization wanted a voucher in the old 1351-2 form. I filled that out, haven't seen the balance show up on my GTC, but today in my checking account I received $1700 titled "DCD Misc Pay". 
My questions are:
1. WTF is DCD Misc Pay?
2. I didn't put any kind of split disbursement on the 1351-2 and never gave that group my checking account info.  Could they just pull it from my SSN on the form and send money into my checking account instead of dumping it all into the GTC?
3. Where's the nearest casino that will accept $1700 bets?

1) no idea what DCD means
2) on a paper voucher to get money to go to GTC you must mark the split disburse block and designate an amount; otherwise it goes to your bank account.

Yes, your pay account normally has a designated bank account they send your normal pay to and your travel pay to. You normally set that up early in your career.

3) no idea where you live but most casinos happy to accept your bet or you could probably find some local hookers and blow to spend it on


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[Danger41]

Thanks!

[Warrior]

This seems like an appropriate place to ask this question:

How do you put money in TSP above the standard limit? e.g. I already maxed contributions for this year at $18k. Then I got to deploy so the new limit is $53k.  I keep submitting the TSP election form through MyPay and the local finance office said "we don't know, we don't do anything with TSP." And TSP said you can't write a check you have to get the service finance office to send the money in.  

I expected nothing less, but has anyone had success with this game?

[Toro]

This seems like an appropriate place to ask this question:
How do you put money in TSP above the standard limit? e.g. I already maxed contributions for this year at $18k.

Sounds like you're doing it correctly. Just check/adjust your contributions in MyPay. Make sure you check your special contributions (separate from your normal pay). Remember that they don't take effect until next month.


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[Bojangles]

10 hours ago, Warrior said:

This seems like an appropriate place to ask this question:

How do you put money in TSP above the standard limit? e.g. I already maxed contributions for this year at $18k. Then I got to deploy so the new limit is $53k.  I keep submitting the TSP election form through MyPay and the local finance office said "we don't know, we don't do anything with TSP." And TSP said you can't write a check you have to get the service finance office to send the money in.  

I expected nothing less, but has anyone had success with this game?

You're still going to use mypay. Go in and make the percentage elections. It'll give you an effective date. If I made a change today then it'd take affect starting on 1 Jan so it'd be the Jan 15 paycheck before I saw the first deduction from my pay. If you are already at $18k then the only way to get more than that in the calendar year is by doing traditional as roth doesn't benefit from the higher limit.

Also, make sure that if you choose 92% of your base pay that your pay can support that after any allotments that you may have. For example, if you make $5,000 in base pay and choose 92% then that'd be $4,600 but if you have more than $400 in deductions then the TSP election will likely get rejected and not take anything out of your pay. Click the "traditional election worksheet" link at the following: https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/tspformilitary/tspac.html. That worksheet will help calculate the correct percentage to avoid any issues. 

Annual maximum: The maximum Internal Revenue Code (IRC) contribution elective deferral limit for 2017, which is the combined total of your Traditional deferred contributions and Roth contributions, is $18,000. Also, the IRC annual addition limit for 2017 which includes exempt Traditional contributions as well as Traditional deferred contributions and Roth contributions, is $54,000. Roth contributions may be made from combat zone tax exempt pay as well as post-tax pay, however, the annual limit for Roth remains at $18,000 for 2017 even if you are in a combat zone. Exempt contributions above that amount may only be made to Traditional TSP. However, as an exception to the limits described in this paragraph, deferred contributions may also be made to Traditional catch-up; and post-tax or exempt contributions may be made to Roth catch-up, if you are eligible (see catch-up).

[BattleRattle]

If I was TDY to bases in CENTCOM AOR for a few days and had all meals/lodging provided, what is my per diem for the day? In DTS, my travel voucher correctly states "Base X" with $0 lodging and all meals provided, but it is still giving me between $22-34/day, depending on which base I'm at. Is the $3.50/day only if you're deployed/on CED orders? Looking for someone to help me crack this nut. PM if able to help. Thanks in advance. BR

[HossHarris]

DTS is supposed to make your life easier!  File whatever it says and let the finance eggheads sort it out. You aren't the finance expert, that's not your job.

 

(But if you think you're overpaid, I'd sit on that money for a while)

Edited January 14, 2017 by HossHarris

[nsplayr]

Had this happen to me and a bunch of other dudes in the past. We highlighted the problem to finance and they ended up adjusting the per diem for that base, but since the regs stated full per diem for that base on the dates we were there, that's what we received. 

We were all very pleasantly surprised, so chalk up one win against the system in the sea of getting screwed most of the time. 

Good advice though to not spend that money until an extremely final decision is made that it's rightfully yours. 

[Homestar]

1 hour ago, HossHarris said:

(But if you think you're overpaid, I'd sit on that money for a while)

I had finance recoup about $400 from an overpaid voucher over four years old...apparently they do know how to audit their books.

Also, apparently you're not authorized to mail pro-gear to your 365-ITDY location...

[ThreeHoler]

If $3.50 OCONUS incidentals is not on your orders before you leave for the TDY...then you get regular incidentals. Meals are provided except for any duty-related missed meals. Travel days are full per diem.

If you are chopped to AFCENT, then then $3.50 applies since it is on the CED orders. Once in CENTCOM, you only get $3.50 a day even on travel days except travel in and out of the AOR.


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[ThreeHoler]

If $3.50 is directed on your orders then you must check the OCONUS incidentals box to force $3.50 a day.


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[PlanePhlyer]

Don't know where else to ask this, but what are folks at the Deid getting nowadays for "incentive pay"?  Is it still tax free?  I think I read that hostile fire pay is gone, not sure what else. $3.50 I'm sure hasn't changed since I was there in 11'/13'. Just got my good deal Deid in July trip emailed to me. If you have any references that would be great as well. Thanks!

[ThreeHoler]

$3.50/day per diem (full for the travel day in and out of theater).

No Imminent Danger Pay unless flying over countries where it still exists...then it is on a per day basis.

Still a combat zone tax exclusion area...that takes Congress to "fix."

Family Separation pay if you have dependents.

Don't remember how much the monthly Hardship Duty Pay was. Either $50, $100, or $150 a month.

[F16Rooster]

I'm on title 10 orders for all 28 days of February.  Since my unit won't extend the orders to let us take leave, I tacked on 4 days of title 10 alert orders so that I could have "more than 30 days" and receive full BAH.  Finance told me today that because the funding is different, they can't combine those orders and thus I am not on orders "more than 30 days."  Anybody have a good reference that I can use to get that extra $180.  It's not much but I'm trying to make a point. 

 

[Ram]

Speak to the first officer in the finance chain of command. Make an appointment. Bring documentation of all emails, phone calls, and visits, to include names of who you spoke with.

Even more helpful if you can cite the AFIs the finance office has violated. Inform the CGO you speak with that your next stop is IG if the issue is not resolved.


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