TSP rollover forms: what tsp.gov lists today

What tsp.gov lists today

We read tsp.gov's Forms and resources page on the date at the foot of this page and list here what it shows for taking money out, with each item linked to tsp.gov. Names, posting dates and page counts are as tsp.gov shows them. If the page changes, this list is out of date until we recheck it.

The same page lists other documents that have nothing to do with a rollover out (contribution election forms, loans, death benefits, court orders). We've left them off.

Forms you may hear about but don't need

• Paper withdrawal forms. Older articles name paper forms for full and partial withdrawals. tsp.gov's forms page no longer lists any withdrawal form and says you don't need one.
• The custodian's own transfer or rollover form. If your custodian sends you one, don't forward it to the TSP. The TSP fact sheet TSPFS5 says the TSP will not accept the rollover forms of other financial institutions or plans, and the Distributions booklet says not to use forms provided by the new plan or financial institution.
• TSP-60 and TSP-60-R. These were for rolling money into the TSP. tsp.gov now says the paper forms are no longer necessary; that request is also made in My Account.

What the gold IRA custodian may ask about the TSP

Custodians that rarely see TSP money sometimes ask what kind of plan it is. The TSP wrote fact sheet TSPFS5 for exactly this reader. The points it makes:

• Under IRC section 7701(j) the TSP is treated as a qualified trust under section 401(a), so a custodian can complete the rollover on that basis.
• The TSP's Employer Identification Number is 52-1529691.
• Rollovers are made by U.S. Treasury check to the receiving plan or IRA.
• The participant's financial institution has to certify that it will accept the funds and provide its rollover information on the participant's distribution request.
• Traditional and Roth portions are distributed and rolled over separately. Tax-exempt (combat zone) money goes only to an IRA that accepts it.

Your checklist

From the custodian, before you start:

1. The exact payee name for the Treasury check, and the mailing address.
2. The new IRA's account number, and whether it is traditional or Roth. Roth TSP money can only go to a Roth IRA; traditional money sent at the same time goes to a traditional IRA, or to the Roth one as a conversion that is taxed that year.
3. A yes that it accepts rollovers from the TSP, plus Roth or tax-exempt money if you have any.
4. Its fee schedule, so there are no surprises on the first statement.

For the TSP request:

1. Your My Account log-in, and, if you have left federal service, a separation date your agency has already reported.
2. The amount, at least $1,000 for a partial distribution or an age-59½ withdrawal, and the source: traditional, Roth or both.
3. If you are married and under FERS, your spouse's notarized consent or waiver. My Account explains how to submit it.
4. Any amount you aren't rolling over is paid to you: your bank details or mailing address must have been on file for at least 7 days.

Afterwards: keep the confirmation of payment, which states whether the payment was eligible for rollover, and the Form 1099-R the TSP sends for the year.

When it goes through

The TSP processes requests every business day. A request entered before noon eastern time is processed that night; one entered after noon, the next business night. You can change or cancel it until noon on the day it is processed. After that, a payment can't be reversed.

The rest of the process, with what you need at each stage, is on the step-by-step worksheet. There is a broader gold IRA rollover guide on Gold IRA Companies Ranked, alongside its Goldco record, and more on workplace plans in general.