Reading Your 1099-R Form

• Which payments are included on the 2011 Form 1099-R?
  
  

  January 1, 2012 for the month of December 2011 will be included in your 2012 Form 1099-R.

• What are Nontaxable Contributions (Box 5)?
  
  

  • Gross Distribution (Box 1) minus Taxable Amount (Box 2a).
  • The total excludable for the year using the Simplified Method (External Link).

  The Pension and Annuity Income (External Link) IRS publication provides detailed information on nontaxable contributions.

• What is the Percentage of Total Distribution (Box 9a)?
  
  

  • Percentage received by the beneficiary(ies) of someone else's account.
  • Payments made this year. Not necessarily the percentage based on total distribution.
• What are the Total Employee Contributions (Box 9b)?

  Amount of prior taxed contributions remaining after the Simplified Method exclusion (External Link).

Other Questions

• Why do I have more than one Form 1099-R?

  You receive a separate form for each type of benefit. Service Retirement and Disability Allowance (Coverage A) are examples of benefit types. View an example of the form.

• Is my income tax return affected if I was overpaid a benefit and have a repayment plan?
  
  

  • Repayments received in 2011 for overpayment in 2011 are noted in Box 1.
  • Repayments received in 2011 for overpayments prior to 2011 are not reflected in Box 1.
  • IRS prohibits CalSTRS from changing any amounts from prior tax years.
  • See the Gross Distribution (Box 1) on the sample form.
  • CalSTRS sends an acknowledgment letter for the total amount received in 2011 for a prior year overpayment.
    • You may be entitled to recover taxes you paid.
    • Consult a tax professional to use the letter when filing your tax return.
    • Read the Taxable and Nontaxable Income (External Link) publication from the IRS for more details.
• Why are insurance and court ordered deductions not on Form 1099-R?

  These deductions are not required by the IRS. Check your payment stubs for deduction details.

When to Contact CalSTRS

• What do I do if I have not received my 2011 Form 1099-R in the mail or need a duplicate copy?

  You may view and print your 1099-Rs for years 2001 through 2011 on myCalSTRS.

  In addition, you may contact CalSTRS by e-mail, phone or letter to request duplicate 1099-Rs. All requests include your:

  • Name
  • Client ID or last four digits of your Social Security number
  • Requested tax year
  • Benefit type (for example, Service Retirement)
  • Mailing address
  • Daytime phone number
  • Signature

  Mail written requests to:

  CalSTRS
  P.O. Box 15275, MS 8
  Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

  Please allow 10 to 15 working days to process your request.

• What if my address is incorrect?

  An incorrect address does not affect Form 1099-R. Always make sure CalSTRS has your correct address:

  • Submit an Address Change Request (PDF; 233KB) form.
  • Contact CalSTRS.
  • Update your myCalSTRS account.
    • Register for myCalSTRS to update your information.