Federal taxes: self explanatory
FICA/Social Security: self explanatory
FICA/Medicare: self explanatory
SGLI for $250,000: His/her life insurance policy. Automatic, unless you opt out.
SPO Payment: the amount that got sent to the ship�s ATM, if set up Normally, there will be two listed, each with the same amount. That just means it was taken out both on the 15th and the 1st.
Split Pay Option: don�t try and make sense, it�s just an accounting way of balancing this out.
Family SGLI: a Life insurance policy for the spouse. Also automatic, $100,000 coverage.
AFRH: Armed Forces Retirement Home, this is standard for everyone $.50 is taken out each month.
TSP: Thrift Savings Plan. Optional, but a good idea, especially if you are just starting to save for retirement.
REPAY ADVANCE: This is standard if before PCSing he/she takes a payroll advance to help fund the move.
MID-MONTH PAY: This is the deduction of the pay he/she received on the 15th of the month.
Allotments:
These all have to be initiated by the service member, it can be done online or through PSD, there is a limit of 6. Some examples:
Comb Fed Campaign: Each year, the service member is invited to set up a charity donation allotment, and can choose where it goes.
Discretionary allotment: want to automatically send money each month to your Mom? How about a child support account? Or Roth IRA? Will also be used for paying for Privatized housing.
TRICARE DENTAL: This is for United Concordia Dental Plan. It ranges from single to family. If there is more than 1 dependent then you will be charged the family rate. It does not go up with added dependents, it stays at the same amount.
Summary: they add all pay and subtract all deductions to give you the EOM (End of Month) Pay.
Diems: The day he signed his/her contract to enter the military.
RETPLAN: what retirement Plan he is covered under.
Leave: VACATION!!!
BF Bal: Balance Forward: how many days he/she previously had on the books.
Ernd: How may days were earned this pay period (normally 2.5 each month)
Used: How many were used this pay period
Cr Bal: how many days he has total now
ETS Bal: Terminal Leave: taken before the final retirement date
Lv Lost: any days lost due to having too many on the books
Lv paid: how many days taken strictly as pay, not actual time off
Use/Lose: how many days you need to use up FAST before they go away forever
FED Taxes: Wage period: How much Uncle Sam is gonna tax you on this month.
Wage YTD: How much has he taxed you on all year so far.
M/S: Married or Single
EX: Exemptions
Tax YTD: How much in taxes have come out YTD
FICA Taxes: pretty much the same as the Fed lines
State Taxes:
St: This depends on what state is listed as his/her home of record. It does not matter what state he/she is stationed at, they will only pay the state taxes for the state they enlisted in.
Pay data:
BAQ Type: This is the old term for BAH, and it will list either W/Dep(ants) or Single
BAQ Depn: Spouse( that�s you)
VHA Zip: another old term that was combined with BAQ. The Zip code your BAH is based on. Will be the COMMAND�s zip code.
Rent Amt: How many places he/she is receiving BAH for, it is usually 1, but it maybe different if he/she is doing a GEOBachelor or you are overseas and receiving BAH II.
JFTR: Is the code that determines what area he/she is stationed at and determines the COLA Amount.
Depns: How many dependents he/she has listed for tax deductions and to receive COLA.
Thrift Savings Plan
Base pay rate: what percentage of his base pay is being put aside in the TSP. There is a maximum amount that can be set aside.
Base pay Current: alternatively, you can opt to have a specific dollar amount set aside.
Spec(ialty), INC(entive) and Bonus Pays are other sources of income than can be set aside for TSP.
TSP YTD Deductions: total monies set aside
Deferred: that part which is tax deferred
Exempt: that part which is tax exempt
Remarks:
This section is used to impart information. It will have a running counter of sea time, submarine time, notices of any changes in your income or deduction status since your last LES, and will also have community service announcements. Will also list what banks the mid month pay and any bank deductions are going to. It�s a good idea to read through, even though it may be hard to read as it is divided into columns, but read straight across the line.