Page 4 FTB Pub. 1005 2017
Maximum Contribution Amounts to Savings Incentive
Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE). Taxpayers may contribute
the following amounts to a Simple IRA and Simple 401(k):
Age 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Under 50 $12,000 $12,000 $12,500 $12,500 $12,500 $12,500
50 & Over $14,500 $14,500 $15,500 $15,500 $15,500 $15,500
Maximum Contribution Amounts to KEOGH. The maximum
contribution amount a taxpayer can make to a Keogh plan per
year is as follows:
• 2018, the amount is $55,000
• 2017, the amount is $54,000
• 2016, the amount is $53,000
• 2015, the amount is $53,000
• 2014, the amount is $52,000
• 2013, the amount is $51,000
Maximum Deduction and Contribution Amounts to a
Simplified Employee Pension (SEP). The maximum deduction
and contribution amounts per plan year to a SEP are as follows:
• 2018, the lesser of $55,000 or 25% of compensation
(compensation is limited to $275,000)
• 2017, the lesser of $54,000 or 25% of compensation
(compensation is limited to $270,000)
• 2016, the lesser of $53,000 or 25% of compensation
(compensation is limited to $265,000)
• 2015, the lesser of $53,000 or 25% of compensation
(compensation is limited to $265,000)
• 2014, the lesser of $52,000 or 25% of compensation
(compensation is limited to $260,000)
• 2013, the lesser of $51,000 or 25% of compensation
(compensation is limited to $255,000)
Rollovers. Section 457 plans can be rolled over to other
qualified plans. In addition, distributions from a Section 457 plan
can be used to purchase permissive service credit for other
retirement plans.
A surviving spouse can roll over distributions from a deceased
spouse’s qualified retirement plan to a Section 457 plan in
which the surviving spouse participates.
Social Security and Railroad
Retirement Benefits
California law differs from federal law in that California does not
tax:
• Social security benefits.
• Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits.
• Tier 2 railroad retirement benefits reported on federal
Form RRB 1099-R.**
** Railroad benefits paid by individual railroads are taxable by
California. These benefits are reported on federal Form 1099-R.
• Sick pay benefits under the Railroad Unemployment
Insurance Act.
Make an adjustment to exclude any of this income if it
was included in your federal AGI. See the instructions for
Schedule CA (540 or 540NR), line 7, line 16, and line 20b, for
more information.
The information above applies only to United States social
security and railroad retirement. Foreign social security is
taxable by California as annuity income. A tax treaty between
the United States and another country which excludes the
foreign social security from federal income or which treats the
foreign social security as if it were United States social security
does not apply for California purposes.
Three-Year Rule
The “Three-Year Rule” was repealed for retirees whose annuity
starting date is after December 31, 1986. However, if your
annuity starting date was before January 1, 1987, and you
elected to use the “Three-Year Rule,” continue to use this
method.
Under the “Three-Year Rule,” amounts you receive are not
taxed until your after-tax contributions are recovered. Once your
contributions are recovered, your pension or annuity is fully
taxable.
Generally, the California and federal taxable amounts are the
same. If the California and federal taxable amounts are different,
enter the difference on Schedule CA (540 or 540NR), line 16b,
column C.
California Residents Receiving
an Out-of-State Pension
In General
California residents are taxed on ALL income, including
income from sources outside California. Therefore, a pension
attributable to services performed outside California but
received after you became a California resident is taxable in its
entirety by California. See Examples 1 through 4.
Examples:
Example 1
– You worked 10 years in Texas, moved to California
and worked an additional 5 years for the same company. You
retired in California and began receiving your pension, which is
attributable to your services performed in both California and
Texas.
Determination: You are a full-year resident of California. As a
California resident, you are taxed on all your income, regardless
of its source. Do not make an adjustment on Schedule CA
(540), to exclude any of the pension income.
Example 2 – You worked in New York for 20 years. You retired
and moved permanently to California on January 1. While living
in California, you begin receiving your pension attributable to
the services performed in New York.
Determination: You are a full-year resident of California.
As a California resident, you are taxed on all your income,
regardless of its source. Do not make an adjustment on
Schedule CA (540), to exclude any of the pension income.
Example 3 – In December 2016, you retired and moved
permanently to California. Prior to your move, you elected to
receive your pension as a lump-sum distribution. Your pension
is attributable solely to services you performed in Washington
prior to your move. You received the lump-sum distribution in
February 2017, after you became a California resident.
Determination: You are a full-year California resident in 2017. As
a California resident, you are taxed on all income, regardless of
its source. Do not make an adjustment on Schedule CA (540)
to exclude any portion of the Washington pension income.
Example 4 – You worked in Georgia for 20 years. You retired
and began receiving your monthly pension on January 1, 2017,
while you were still living in Georgia. Your pension is $2,000 a
month. Because you did not contribute to the plan, your pension
is fully taxable. On May 1, 2017, you moved permanently to
California.
Determination: You are a part-year resident of California. While
you are a nonresident, only your California-source income
is taxable by California. While you are a resident, all of your
income, regardless of its source, is taxable by California.