When deployed to Korea for a 12-month hardship tour, is your base pay federally taxed at all?

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:10:18 -0500

Response by SFC Pete Kain made Dec 18 at 2018 6:14 PM

SFC Pete Kain — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:14:07 -0500

Well it certainly was the last time I was there, 88-89

Response by SPC William Del Valle made Dec 18 at 2018 6:23 PM

SPC William Del Valle — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:23:57 -0500

Was there 03-07 and it was still taxed.

Response by SPC William Del Valle made Dec 18 at 2018 6:24 PM

SPC William Del Valle — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:24:58 -0500

Are you going to Camp Casey?

Response by MAJ Bryan Zeski made Dec 18 at 2018 6:31 PM

MAJ Bryan Zeski — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:31:42 -0500

Yes. The only place you get tax relief is in actual combat zones, if I recall correctly.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Dec 18 at 2018 6:59 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 18:59:38 -0500

After arriving in Korea in late May of 1954 about 30 days of my pay was tax free.

Response by SGT James LeFebvre made Dec 18 at 2018 9:10 PM

SGT James LeFebvre — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 21:10:26 -0500

Yes, it will be. As far as state tax, well, it depends on the state. For CA (just as an example, my home of record at the time) if you're serving out of state, you will end up paying tax, but they do refund pretty much all of it. Now, I can't speak for the current admin there, may have changed under Brown.

Response by SPC William Weedman made Dec 19 at 2018 1:47 AM

SPC William Weedman — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 01:47:30 -0500

Federal and state for me in 1989.

Response by SSG Robert Burch made Dec 19 at 2018 10:16 AM

SSG Robert Burch — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 10:16:53 -0500

Yes. Your tax status doesn’t change with a tour to Korea. Only to combat zones.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 19 at 2018 11:37 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 11:37:21 -0500

Yes since it's not actually a contingency operation or designated combat zone by the Government. On my two recent deployments (1) Iraq & Kuwait - Tax Free, (2) Egypt - Not Tax Free.

But at the time in 2009-2010 in Egypt, you could do a tour to Tiran Island during the month, or do water survival & get a tax-free month: aka "splash for cash" Now you can't do that since you'd have to be on Tiran Island or do water survival training everyday & that's not possible.

Then later, the law was changed for the military, they made the tax pays & hazardous duty pays incremental to prevent senior leaders from coming into theater at the end of the month & beginning of next month to visit troops & getting 2 months tax-free.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 19 at 2018 7:15 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 19:15:13 -0500

Are you referring to a 12 month assignment or a rotational deployment with a unit to Korea?