Get matched with a Federal Retirement Consultant in Washington, DC

Getting matched in Washington, DC

District of Columbia taxes a FERS annuity as ordinary income.

That matters because the federal rules are identical in every state, but the take-home is not. A retirement date, a survivor election or a TSP withdrawal plan that is right in one state can land differently in another once state tax is counted. A consultant who serves Washington, DC reads your plan with that in view.

How Washington, DC taxes a federal retirement

The District's old exclusion for federal pension income received at age 62 or older expired for tax years beginning in 2015, so your FERS basic annuity is fully taxable in DC today. The one piece that survives is for survivor benefits from the federal or DC government paid to someone 62 or older.

DC has no retirement specific exclusion for traditional TSP or IRA withdrawals, so they are taxed as ordinary income at DC's graduated rates.

DC does not tax Social Security or tier 1 Railroad Retirement benefits, even the portion that is taxable on your federal return.

Tax year 2026 rates; exclusions as published for current returns. Confirm with the Washington, DC revenue department or a tax professional.

Where Washington, DC federal employees work

Washington, DC has about 162,000 federal civilian employees. The largest federal employers in the area:

• The Pentagon The Pentagon is the Department of Defense headquarters just across the Potomac in Arlington, with more than 25,000 military and civilian occupants.
• Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters sits at the Washington Navy Yard with a workforce of nearly 2,800 military and civilian employees.
• Library of Congress The Library of Congress is the legislative branch research library, with a permanent staff of 3,238 federal civilian employees.
• VA Washington DC Health Care System The VA Washington DC Health Care System serves veterans across DC and parts of Maryland and Virginia with more than 2,000 employees.
• United States Postal Service, Washington DC processing facilities The Postal Service runs the Curseen-Morris Processing and Distribution Center on Brentwood Road plus post offices across the District.
• Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian is a federal trust instrumentality running the national museums and research centers, with about 6,343 federal and trust employees.

How matching works in Washington, DC

1. Step 1

   Tell us where you are

   Pick a time below and share your city, state and the decision you are weighing. Nothing is filed and you can stop at any step.

2. Step 2

   We match you with an FRC who serves Washington, DC

   FFEBA, the organization behind the FRC designation, refers you to a Federal Retirement Consultant in its network who works with federal employees in your state. Look them up by name before the call.

3. Step 3

   A free review, by phone

   The consultant reads your situation against the federal rules and your goals, in plain terms. If your plan already fits, you will hear that.

What the review covers

The consultant walks the same ground for every federal employee, in plain terms and against your own goals:

• Your retirement date. Eligibility, the FERS Supplement, COLA timing, and how the date shapes your first years of income.
• The survivor election. What it costs, what it protects, and how it affects FEHB for a spouse.
• FEHB and Medicare. The five-year rule, and how your plan coordinates with Medicare later.
• FEGLI. Which options you carry into retirement, and where coverage stops earning its cost.
• The TSP. How it is invested today and how you will turn it into income once the paychecks stop.

This page is education, not tax, legal or investment advice. State rules change; confirm the Washington, DC figures with the state revenue department or a tax professional before you file anything.