Armed Forces Tax Guide (IRS Publication 3): Official Tax References for Military Pay and Benefits
The Armed Forces Tax Guide (Publication 3) contains many tax tips for servicemembers and their families. Discover the official tax reference for military pay and benefits.
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What Compensation Is Taxable or Not Taxable
You can generalize what types of pay (basic, incentive, special, etc.) are taxable, while allowances (like basic allowance for housing, basic allowance for subsistence or clothing allowances) are not. For example, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the continental United States (48 states and the District of Columbia (CONUS), but not Alaska and Hawaii) is taxable, while COLA outside CONUS (OCONUS) is not.Detailed Information About Tax Treatment of Combat-Zone Deployments
The Armed Forces Tax Guide is the base document by which your pay offices withhold taxes (or stop withholding based upon your combat zone tax exclusion). However, sometimes a pay office is wrong. When they are, this document allows you to resolve this on your tax return, if needed. For example, in 2015 I traveled to Jordan on several exercise-related TDY visits, warranting the combat-zone tax exclusion (CZTE). My pay office withheld taxes because I was not directly involved in combat operations. Even though my command certified my travel to Jordan, which hosts U.S. Central Command joint military exercises, as being eligible for CZTE, the pay office disagreed. No problem. I took my travel documents to my tax preparer (an enrolled agent and tax professional). We verified the travel was to one of the U.S. Department of Defense certified CZTE countries, and the adjustments were made for my return.Itemized Lesser-Known Military-Specific Deductions
While you generally cannot deduct upkeep of uniform items, you can deduct:- Cost of upkeep for military battle dress uniforms and utility uniforms that you cannot wear off duty
- Articles not replacing regular clothing
- Reservist uniforms if you can only wear them while performing duties as a reservist (i.e. not while doing your civilian job)
- Professional dues for professional organizations directly related to your line of work, not including the officers’ club or non-commissioned officers (NCO) club dues
- Unreimbursed education expenses
- Transportation expenses, including non-reimbursed travel for National Guard or Reserve Drill duty
One-Stop Shopping for Tax Credits
You can use the guide as a snapshot for most of the tax credits available:- Child tax credit
- Additional child tax credit
- Earned income tax credit, a tax break for low- to moderate-income families; you can find additional information at the IRS’s earned income tax credit and other refundable credits landing page
- Credit for excess withheld Social Security tax, which you might be able to claim if you had more than one employer
Tax-Filing Deadlines and Details
While tax-filing extensions are an option, certain rules exist specifically for service members. Whether you’re filing from CONUS, OCONUS or CZTE, varied extensions apply.- CONUS: Anyone can receive a six-month extension by filing Form 4868
- OCONUS: Three separate extensions may apply
- CZTE: The rules can be complicated; here is more information regarding tax-deadline extensions for deployed military members
Conclusion
While many dread doing taxes, it’s important to note the military-specific tax rules in place. If you’re familiar with them, or at least with the Armed Forces Tax Guide, you can help ensure that more of your money works for you. 
