Information Regarding Voluntary Contributions
Civil Service Retirement System
Filing Your Application
If you are an employee, you must submit the completed
form to your agency personnel office. They will complete
the agency certification box and forward your application to
the Office of Personnel Management. If you are already
separated for retirement and are waiting for your retirement
application to be approved, no agency certification is
needed. Send your application to:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Retirement Operations Center
PO Box 45
Boyers, PA 16017-0045
Do not send any payment with this application; if you do, it
will be returned. OPM will send full instructions on how to
make contributions once your application is accepted.
Definition
Voluntary contributions are optional payments made to the
Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund for the pur-
chase of additional annuity at retirement.
Who May Make Voluntary Contributions
Active employees covered under the Civil Service Retire-
ment System (CSRS) or retired employees whose applica-
tions for CSRS retirement are being adjudicated may make
voluntary contributions, provided the Application to Make
Voluntary Contributions, SF 2804, has been approved by
OPM. No monies will be accepted until the SF 2804 is
approved. OPM will not approve an application from any-
one who, although otherwise eligible, (1) has not deposited
amounts covering all civilian service performed by the
applicant or (2) has previously received a refund of volun-
tary contributions, unless the applicant was separated for
more than 3 calendar days and was again employed in a
position subject to the CSRS after the refund was paid. Note
that employees covered by or retiring under the Federal
Employees Retirement System (FERS) are not eligible to
make voluntary contributions. An employee who transfers
from CSRS to FERS may not make additional contributions
to an existing voluntary contributions account. However, the
account will continue to earn interest as explained below.
How to Make Voluntary Contributions
As long as you are eligible, you may make voluntary contri-
butions at regular intervals or whenever you wish. They
cannot be deducted from your salary. However, after your
account is established, OPM will send you information
about how to have payments deducted from your account at
a bank or credit union. Each payment must be in multiples
of $25 (i.e., $50, $75, $100, etc). Once your application is
accepted, you will be assigned an account number and OPM
will provide you with instructions for making payments.
You may make voluntary contributions at any time after
OPM notifies you that you have an account and before you
apply for a refund or notify OPM that you want to purchase
additional annuity.
Limit on Contributions
Your total contributions cannot be more than 10 percent of
the total of your basic civilian salary received as of the date
any contribution is made. You cannot make contributions
based on anticipated future earnings. OPM will compute
your limitation when you retire or close out your account.
We will accept the contributions you make; however, when
you retire or close out your account, any amount found to
be in excess of your limit will be refunded, without interest.
Refund of Contributions
You may apply for and be paid a refund of all (not just a
part) of your voluntary contributions plus earned interest at
any time before you retire and receive additional annuity.
Please note that you will not receive interest on the amount
of your deposits that exceed the 10 percent limitation. If
you are paid such a refund, your account is closed. You
cannot open another account or again make voluntary
contributions unless you are separated for more than 3
calendar days and are then reemployed in a position subject
to CSRS.
Interest
Your voluntary contributions account earns interest at a
rate of 3 percent a year through December 31, 1984. There-
after, your account earns interest at a rate equal to the aver-
age yield earned by new investments purchased by the
Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund during the
preceding fiscal year. Interest begins to accrue on the date
your voluntary contributions are deposited in your account.
Interest is compounded annually on December 31 of each
year. This interest is not subject to Federal income tax until
it is paid to you.
As a general rule, your voluntary contributions stop earning
interest on the earliest of the following dates: (1) the date
OPM authorizes payment of a refund of your voluntary
contributions; (2) the date you separate from Federal
service; or (3) the date you transfer to a position not subject
to CSRS (or FERS). Sole exception: if you separate from
Federal service with entitlement to a deferred annuity
commencing at age 62 and do not elect a refund of volun-
tary contributions, interest will continue to accrue to your
annuity commencing date (62nd birthday) or your death,
whichever is earlier. (Note: In the case of a separated
employee with title to a deferred annuity who receives a
refund of voluntary contributions — either before or after
reaching age 62 — the general rule applies and no interest
is payable for the time beyond the date of his or her
separation from service.)
If You Die While You Are a Federal Employee
In this event, your voluntary contributions and accrued
interest are payable immediately in a lump sum. The money
cannot be used to buy additional survivor annuity for your
widow(er) or children. No interest accrues after your death.
SF 2804
Revised July 2006