Tax Resources
Federal income taxes may have a few more considerations and complexities for military families. Use these resources to help you navigate your tax prep and filing.
Dependent Care FSA
DCFSA allows enrollees to set aside pre-tax income to cover eligible dependent care expenses. Participants can set aside up to $7,500 per household for eligible expenses. Common expenses include day care, preschool, elder care, and nanny or au pair expenses.
For your reference, please find the Defense.gov news release and the announcement memo at the links below:
DCFSA educational campaign materials are available at the below links to facilitate awareness and understanding of the DCFSA benefit.
- Office of Financial Readiness: finred.usalearning.gov/benefits/dcfsa
- Military OneSource: militaryonesource.mil/DCFSA
- FSAFEDS (sponsored by OPM): FSAFEDS.com/explore/usmdcfsa
Survivors Resources
If you’re a surviving Family member, Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) offers you access to support, information, and services closest to where you live, when you need it and for as long as you need it.
Survivor Outreach Services is part of the Army Casualty Continuum of Care. It’s designed to provide long-term support to surviving Families of Fallen Soldiers. Our goal is to reassure Survivors that they remain valued members of the Army Family. Survivor Outreach Services is a “one” Army program. Regardless of your loved one’s Army component, duty status, location, or manner of death, SOS Coordinators and Financial Counselors are here to provide dedicated outreach and support. Army National Guard, US Army Reserve and Active Component Families are served by SOS offices located across the country. We know that there are no words or actions that can ever fully solace you in your loss, for there is no greater calling than to serve ones’ nation with honor and dignity.
HEART Act
What beneficiaries need to know: Death Gratuity & Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)
Additional Resources
Navigating the Road to Secure Your Family’s Future was created by the Army Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) program to help educate and provide Army Families with tools to plan for the future. Talking about the possibility of facing the loss of a family member is one of the most difficult conversations a family can have, but estate planning can help to relieve families of some of the burden if a tragedy occurs. This interactive guide is an opportunity to learn a little more about the various estate planning documents in the military, the benefits and entitlements that a family may receive and how all the pieces fit together. While we hope that our Families never face the loss of their Soldier, it is our goal to help ease a little of the worry about finances and insurance if a loss does occur.
Who can use Navigating the Road to Secure Your Family’s Future? No matter where you are in along a military journey, this guide can help to explain some of the resources that are available.
- Parents: did your son or daughter just join the Army? Use this guide to understand the estate planning documents and some of the terms that your new Soldier is using.
- Spouses: do you understand all of the documents that your Soldier fills out before deployment? This guide helps to explain some of them and provides links to important benefits such as the Survivor Benefit Plan and Life Insurance.
- National Guard or Reserve families: do you feel like there is no one around to help you understand the benefits for your family? Then this guide can help explain some of the benefits that are available when your Soldier is not on active duty or when he or she is activated.
Basic Needs Allowance
BNA provides a supplemental taxable allowance for eligible service members and their families who are the most financially challenged and will promote financial security.
These resources give more information about the BNA and who may qualify.
MilOneSource Economic Security Toolkit
LES ERRORS