Tax Breaks for Military Personnel

Article Highlights:

• Residence or Domicile
• Moving Expenses
• Combat Pay Exclusion
• Living Allowances
• Home Mortgage Interest and Taxes
• Home Sale Gain Exclusion
• Reservist Travel Expenses
• Reservist Early Withdrawal Exception
• Extension of Deadlines
• Uniform Costs and Upkeep
• Joint Returns o Tax Forgiveness
• ROTC Students
• Transitioning Back to Civilian Life

Military service members have special obligations and take risks while performing their service to our country, which impact their tax situation. As a result, they are entitled to a number of special tax breaks. The following are the predominant tax breaks available to military personnel:

• Residence or Domicile – A military service member does not lose or acquire a residence or domicile for tax purposes due to being absent or present in any tax jurisdiction in the U.S. solely to comply with military orders. Thus, for example, a member of the military who is a resident of Texas and is assigned under military orders to a duty station in California continues to be treated as a Texas resident and is not subject to California state income tax.
• Another special rule exempts any personal service income of a military spouse from being taxed by any state other than the military spouse’s resident state. For the income to be exempt from the nonresident state’s taxes, the couple must have relocated to another state under military orders. They must also share the same “domicile” or true home outside the duty station state where they intend to return and relocate permanently.
• Moving Expenses – A member of the Armed Forces on active duty who is required to move because of a permanent change of station can deduct the reasonable unreimbursed expenses of moving themselves and members of their household. They are not subject to the 50-mile distance test or 39-week employment test that civilians are subject to for claiming a moving expense deduction. Reasonable expenses include shipping, a moving van, truck rental, travel expenses (not meals), packing, insurance and storage en route, moving pets, and utility connect/disconnect charges.
• Combat Pay Exclusion – If a member of the Armed Forces serves in a combat zone as an enlisted person or as a warrant officer for any part of a month, all of the military pay that he or she receives for military service that month is excluded from taxation. For officers, the monthly exclusion is capped at the highest enlisted pay plus any hostile fire or imminent danger pay received.
• Living Allowances – The basic housing allowance and both housing and cost-of-living allowances abroad, whether paid by the U.S. Government or by a foreign government, are excluded from taxation.
• Home Mortgage Interest and Taxes – A military taxpayer can deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes on his or her tax return as an itemized deduction, even if they are paid with nontaxable military housing allowance pay.
• Home Sale Gain Exclusion – In order to claim the $250,000 ($500,000 for qualifying married taxpayers) home gain exclusion, taxpayers must generally own and use the home for 2 of the 5 years immediately prior to the home’s sale. A military taxpayer may choose to suspend the 5-year look-back period for up to 10 years when on qualified official extended duty.
• A military taxpayer who sells his or her primary residence and does not meet the 2- of-5-years ownership and use tests due to a move to a new permanent duty station may qualify for a reduced maximum exclusion amount.
• Reservist Travel Expenses – Armed Forces reservists who travel more than 100 miles away from home and stay overnight in connection with service as a member of a reserve component can deduct travel expenses as an adjustment to their gross income. This differs from the rules for other employees, who may only deduct job-related travel expenses as a miscellaneous itemized deduction (subject to the 2% of AGI limitation). Thus, this deduction can be taken even if the reservist does not itemize his or her deductions.
• Reservist Early Withdrawal Exception – Qualified reservists are permitted penalty-free withdrawal from IRAs, 401(k)s, and other arrangements if ordered or called to active duty for a period in excess of 179 days and if the distribution is taken during the active duty period.
• Extension of Deadlines – The time limit for taking care of certain tax matters can be postponed. The deadlines for filing tax returns, paying taxes, filing claims for refund, and taking other actions with the IRS are automatically extended for qualifying members of the military.
• Uniform Cost and Upkeep – If military regulations prohibit you from wearing certain uniforms when off duty, the costs and upkeep of those uniforms can be deducted, but the deductible expense must be reduced by any allowance or reimbursement that is received.
• Joint Returns – Generally, a joint return must be signed by both spouses. However, when one spouse may not be available due to military duty, a power of attorney may be used to file a joint return.
• Tax Forgiveness – When members of the military lose their life in a combat zone or as the result of a terrorist action, their income taxes are forgiven for the year of their death and for any prior year that ends on or after the first day of service in a combat zone.
• ROTC Students – Subsistence allowances paid to ROTC students participating in advanced training are not taxable. However, active duty pay – such as pay received during summer advanced camp – is taxable.
• Transitioning Back to Civilian Life – You may be able to deduct some costs that are incurred while looking for a new job. Such expenses may include travel, resume preparation fees, and outplacement agency fees. Moving expenses may be deductible if your move is closely related to starting work at a new job location and if you meet certain tests.

If you or your spouse have questions about any of the above or questions related to your designated state of residence for state tax-filing purposes, please give this office a call.