1Add your LES
No LES handy? .
2Enter these in myPay
How to enter this in myPay (about 2 minutes)
- Log in at mypay.dfas.mil and choose Thrift Savings Plan.
- Click the edit (pen) button.
- Fill in all eight boxes exactly as shown above, including zeros and boxes that aren't changing. myPay can zero out any box you skip.
- Click Continue, check the review page, then Submit. myPay shows when the change takes effect.
- On your next LES, confirm the new percentages and the TSP deduction.
Fit it to your situation
Open any that apply. Each one updates the numbers above.
Pay changing?
Add promotions, special pays, bonuses, or a deployment. The plan spreads your contributions around them.
Money tight right now?
You don't have to max out today. Turn on Set my own % in step 2, try smaller numbers, and the tool shows what each choice costs.
- First, at least 5% of base pay. That alone earns the full agency match.
- Then add 1% at a time, especially after a raise or promotion, so your take-home pay never drops.
Roth or Traditional?
- Roth: taxed now; qualified withdrawals, growth included, are tax-free later.
- Traditional: lowers taxable pay now; taxed when you withdraw.
- Both count toward the same yearly limit. The agency match always goes to Traditional.
Next year ()
Your percentages carry into January. Plan next year in November or December and submit it then.
Where your TSP is heading
Year by year
Service dates, returns, inflation, and pension settings are under Advanced.
Month by month
TipsMatch, timing, catch-up, deployments
- The match: BRS adds 1% of base pay automatically, plus up to 4% more when you put in 5%. It stops for the year once you hit the limit, so don't hit it early.
- Timing: changes usually show up in one or two paychecks. Check your next LES.
- Re-check each January and after every promotion or new special pay.
- Age 50+: extra catch-up contributions spill over automatically from base pay (not matched).
- Deployed: Traditional contributions from tax-free combat-zone pay don't count toward the yearly limit.
- Rounding: myPay takes whole percents, so this tool rounds up. DFAS stops your last deduction exactly at the limit.
Advanced
Type in numbers, fine-tune the plan, retirement math
Pay tables and TSP limits
What the calculator is using
TSP limits
New year? Get the tables from DFAS
DFAS posts each table on its own page, usually in January (officers sometimes later). Nothing here goes online until you click.
If your browser won't let this page read DFAS, click Open, press Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C on that page, come back, and press Ctrl+V anywhere here. You only need the tables marked you.
Other ways: Word file, PDF, saved page, paste box
DFAS also posts the full year as a Word file on its Pay Tables page.
Page addresses (if DFAS moves them)
Share and privacy
Everything stays in this browser. After you load a new year, share it with your unit as a small file; they drop it on this page.
Common questions
What percent should I put in the TSP to max out?
It depends on your base pay, any special or incentive pay, what you've already put in this year, and when a change takes effect. Add your LES in step 1 and the calculator gives the whole percentage for each myPay box, so you reach the limit in your last December paycheck.
Will maxing out early cost me the match?
Yes. Once you reach the yearly limit, your contributions stop, and the BRS match stops with them for the rest of the year. Spreading contributions so the limit lands in your last paycheck keeps every dollar of match.
What if my percentages are a little too high?
DFAS stops your last deduction exactly at the limit, and the rest stays in that paycheck. That's why this calculator rounds up, as long as the last paycheck still covers 5% of base pay so the match stays whole.
Do special, incentive, and bonus pays count?
Yes. You can contribute a percentage of each as long as you also contribute from base pay, and they count toward the same yearly limit. The match is based on base pay only.
When does a myPay change take effect?
Usually within one or two pay periods; myPay shows the effective date when you submit. Confirm the new percentages and deduction on your next LES.
Roth or Traditional TSP?
Roth is taxed now, and qualified withdrawals, growth included, are tax-free later. Traditional lowers your taxable pay now and is taxed when you withdraw. Both count toward the same limit, and the match always goes to Traditional.
Is my LES uploaded or saved?
No. It's read only in your browser and never uploaded. Only pay numbers are kept, and only while Remember is on; never your name, SSN, or account numbers.
Does it work for federal civilians?
The math handles FERS (Advanced, then Profile), but civilians can elect a whole-dollar amount per paycheck instead of a percentage. TSP.gov's How much can I contribute? calculator gives that amount directly.
Is this an official DoD tool?
No. It's an independent calculator, not affiliated with or endorsed by DFAS, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, or the Department of Defense. Always check the numbers against your LES and myPay.