Some federal annuitants are facing weeks of delays in accessing a key tax document from the Office of Personnel Management, as the filing deadline approaches.
OPM updated its tax form delivery policy last year in an effort to ease and expedite processes for retirees. But the change has led to difficulties and frustrations for many annuitants who are still awaiting their 1099-R forms from OPM.
OPM in past years has mailed out retirees’ 1099-R forms — a required tax document to report federal retirement-related distributions — by the end of January. But according to OPM’s new policy, federal annuitants who have an email address associated with their OPM online account will receive only a digital version of the 1099-R form, unless they actively request to receive a paper copy by mail. Retirees without an email or account in OPM’s systems should automatically receive a paper form in the mail, according to OPM.
Many federal retirees, however, are still waiting on their paper documents to arrive, which are now several weeks behind schedule. Others have reported difficulties with creating or logging into their OPM accounts to either obtain the 1099-R form digitally or change their settings to have the form delivered by mail.
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In light of the difficulties, a group of Democratic lawmakers urged OPM to offer more options for annuitants to access their forms. A letter that lawmakers sent to OPM Director Scott Kupor called further attention to the ongoing issues and sought answers from the agency.
“We have heard from numerous constituents who still have not received their Form 1099-R or annuity statements, even after waiting well beyond the maximum two-week delivery window communicated by your staff,” the lawmakers wrote Monday in their letter, led by Reps. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.).
McLaurine Pinover, an OPM spokesperson, advised annuitants who are still awaiting a paper copy of the 1099-R form to allow about 10 days for mail delivery.
“OPM has made 1099 forms available digitally with one-click access, and users no longer need a PIN to sign in,” Pinover said in an email to Federal News Network. “Anyone without a Retirement Services Online account was mailed a paper copy, and some deliveries may have been delayed by recent winter storms in the D.C. and Northeast region.”
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) said many of its members have been unable to access their documents over the last several weeks, leading to significant frustration.
“NARFE’s members have been sharing the same stories of OPM’s failure to provide 1099-Rs in a timely manner,” said John Hatton, the organization’s staff vice president of policy and programs. “They cannot request mailed copies via the phone. They also cannot get through on the phones to OPM, even if that would help.”
When attempting to contact OPM’s Retirement Services center for assistance, many federal retirees either face long wait times or are entirely unable to reach a representative, according to the lawmakers’ letter. Calls placed to OPM’s customer service phone line often result in a recorded message stating, “due to high call volumes, we are unable to take your call at this time.” The automated message then directs annuitants to go to OPM’s website for more information.
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“This has been a persistent and deeply frustrating problem for retirees who call repeatedly without ever receiving assistance,” the lawmakers wrote.
Hatton said his best advice for retirees who are trying to contact customer service is to begin calling at 7:40 a.m. eastern time, and then continue calling every 30 minutes to try to get through.
“We have long received complaints from members about difficulties getting through to OPM’s Retirement Services phone lines,” he told Federal News Network. “But this seems like the worst it has ever been.”
OPM initially announced plans in October to provide “faster, paperless options” for federal retirees, including through changing its delivery policy for 1099-R forms. At the time, OPM wrote that the changes were a “step toward delivering the efficient, transparent, and customer-focused experience federal retirees deserve.”
In December, the agency then informed annuitants of the coming changes, as well as their options for accessing the 1099-R form, according to an email viewed by Federal News Network. OPM also offers public instructions on its website, detailing how to access the form electronically or request a mailed physical copy.
But as the delays continue, Democrats are pushing OPM for answers on how many federal annuitants are still awaiting physical copies of the tax forms in the mail, and how OPM is planning to address the issues more broadly. They are also looking for information from OPM on the agency’s average wait times and satisfaction ratings in the agency’s Retirement Services center.
“It is unacceptable for the federal agency responsible for the tax documentation of millions of retired Americans to fall short in providing timely, reliable service to all of them,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “We strongly urge you to address this serious gap in support and ensure that every impacted retiree can obtain the documents they need to file their taxes.”
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