TDA HARDSHIP WITHDRAWAL APPLICATION TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM

OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (TRS)

55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041

INSTRUCTIONS
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
• Under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) Program participants who are under
age 59½ may withdraw their post-1988 TDA contributions if they have a sudden and heavy financial need
that they are unable to reasonably meet through other financial resources. (See “Eligible Hardships and
Required Documentation” on page 3.) If you meet those requirements, you may file this application to
request a hardship withdrawal. You must file a “TDA Withdrawal Application” (code TD32) for all other TDA
Program withdrawals.

• Before filing this application, you must maximize all other available TRS and non-TRS resources.

TRS resources include the following:

➢ Any pre-1989 TDA funds (i.e., the TDA contributions and earnings you accumulated as of
December 31, 1988);
➢ Any excess Qualified Pension Plan (QPP) accumulations (Tiers I/II members only); and
➢ Any available TDA and/or QPP loans.
Non-TRS resources include the following:
➢ Any available loans from the City of New York Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP);
➢ Any available loans against home equity and/or life insurance policies;
➢ Any commercial loans available on reasonable terms;
➢ Any available reimbursement or compensation from insurance and/or other sources; and
➢ Any reasonably available assets that can be liquidated without causing a sudden financial need.

Please note: TRS will determine if you have maximized all other available TRS resources. However, you are
solely responsible for ensuring that you have maximized all available non-TRS resources prior to filing this
application.

• You must attach supporting documentation that indicates your financial hardship. If the documentation
describes a hardship for a person other than yourself, you must provide proof of the person’s relationship to you
(e.g., a 1040 form).

• TRS will review your completed “TDA Hardship Withdrawal Application” and supporting documentation
within 30 days of its receipt. You will be notified in writing of TRS’ decision.

• If you are approved for a hardship withdrawal, please note the following:

➢ TRS would calculate your hardship withdrawal amount based on the supporting documentation you
submitted, funds in your TDA account available for hardship withdrawal, and funds available from
other TRS resources. (Therefore, the amount of TDA funds you are eligible to withdraw under the IRC
hardship provisions may differ from the amount you request on your hardship withdrawal application.)

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INSTRUCTIONS (continued)

➢ Your hardship withdrawal would be issued on the first available TRS payroll that occurs at least 60 days
after TRS receives this application.
➢ This withdrawal would be drawn solely from contributions to the TDA Program made on or after January 1,
1989, excluding any investment return on these contributions. The withdrawal would be made from your
balance in the Fixed Return Fund (Fixed Annuity Program) until depleted and then proportionally from
your balances in the variable-return Passport Funds. The unit values used to value your withdrawal from
the variable-return Passport Funds in dollars would be the unit values in effect for the month following the
month in which TRS receives this application.
➢ Your TDA Program contributions, if any, would cease for a six-month period. You would be eligible to
resume contributions when this period ends.
• If you require additional assistance, please contact our Member Services Center at 1 (888) 8-NYC-TRS.

In Part A: All information must be provided. If your permanent address has changed or will change, you may indicate the
new information. Do not provide a temporary address.
In Part B: You must describe the sudden and heavy financial need causing you to file this application. (See “Eligible
Hardships and Required Documentation” on page 3.) You must also list the documentation that you have attached in the
space provided and indicate the dollar amount of your requested hardship withdrawal.
In Part C: You must answer all the questions related to your available resources by checking all applicable boxes provided.
If you have not maximized your available resources, you should not file this application; you should instead apply for those
resources. If you still have a sudden and heavy financial need after maximizing your available resources, you may file a
“TDA Hardship Withdrawal Application” with TRS.
In Part D: You may be eligible to receive your TDA hardship withdrawal via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) if you are
currently an in-service TRS member paid on the City of New York payroll through direct deposit. In this case, you may elect
that your hardship withdrawal be forwarded via EFT to the account where the above payments are deposited. (Charter
School employees, and City University of New York (CUNY) employees paid on the New York State payroll, are not eligible
to receive this payment via EFT.) If you are not eligible to receive your withdrawal via EFT, a check will be mailed to your
home address. Please note that withdrawal checks may no longer be placed on hold for pickup at TRS.
In Part E: Please elect one of two withholding elections.
In Part F: You must sign and date this application. TRS cannot process your application without your signature and the date.
In Part G: You must have this application notarized. TRS cannot process your application without a valid notary stamp.

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GENERAL PROVISIONS
• Your TDA hardship withdrawal, if approved, would be a taxable distribution and would be reported to the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) in January following the calendar year in which it is distributed.
• Amounts distributed through a TDA hardship withdrawal are not eligible to be rolled over or transferred. Therefore, your
withdrawal would be subject to federal income tax; state and local taxes also generally apply.
• If a TDA loan is deemed a distribution in the same tax year in which you receive a TDA hardship withdrawal, the IRS
would require TRS to withhold 20% of the taxable portion of the deemed distribution from the hardship withdrawal; this
withholding would apply if your loan balance is deemed a distribution before your hardship withdrawal is processed, and
would be in addition to any withholding required separately for the hardship withdrawal. The total amount withheld would
be forwarded to the IRS and credited toward your taxes for the current year.
• You are responsible for the accuracy of your hardship claim. If your hardship withdrawal request is approved, you would
also be responsible for paying any income taxes or penalty taxes that are due as a result of this withdrawal.
• TRS suggests that you consult with your tax advisor should you have any specific tax questions.

ELIGIBLE HARDSHIPS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

The types of expenses that qualify for a TDA hardship withdrawal and the supporting documentation required are listed
below. Please note that, if the documentation describes a hardship for a person other than yourself, you must also include
proof of the other person’s relationship to you (e.g., a 1040 form).
• Certain medical expenses for you, your spouse, a dependent, or child (including a child who does not qualify as a
dependent for tax purposes) that are not covered by health insurance. Documentation required: Physician, hospital,
and/or related bills.
• Tuition, related educational fees, and related room and/or board expenses for post-secondary education for the next 12
months of education for you, your spouse, a dependent, or child (including a child who does not qualify as a dependent for
tax purposes). Documentation required: Outstanding itemized bill(s) (with name of student indicated) from the academic
institution.
• Payment to prevent eviction from your principal residence or foreclosure on that residence. Documentation required:
Valid eviction or foreclosure notice (e.g., letter from landlord, attorney, or representative indicating amount due and date of
pending eviction or foreclosure).
• Costs directly related to the purchase of your principal residence (excluding mortgage payments) and/or additional costs
(e.g., legal and/or other closing fees) associated with this purchase. Documentation required: Valid sales contract for
purchase of principal residence and/or “good faith estimate” of any additional costs.
• Payment required for a new rental lease for your principal residence following eviction from a previous principal residence.
Documentation required: New valid lease.
• Payments for burial or funeral expenses for your spouse, parent, dependent, or child (including a child who does not
qualify as a dependent for tax purposes). Documentation required: Funeral home, cemetery, or related bills.
• Expenses for the repair of damage to your principal residence that would qualify for the casualty deduction under
Section 165 of the IRC. Documentation required: Photograph(s) of damage and licensed contractor’s estimate or bill(s)
to repair the damage.

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 TDA HARDSHIP WITHDRAWAL APPLICATION TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK (TRS)
55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041

Please read the instructions on pages 1 and 2 before completing this form.
(NOTE: Please print in black or blue ink, and initial any changes that you make on this form.)
PART A: All information must be provided below.

First Name MI Last Name Social Security Number (last 4 digits only)
XX X X X
Permanent Home Address Apt. No. TRS Membership Number

City State Zip Code Daytime Phone Number (Check one: Home Work)
( )
In the space below, please indicate any recent or upcoming changes to your permanent address (and/or phone number), as well as
the effective date of the changes:

Any address that you enter above will be considered your permanent address, and TRS’ database will be updated accordingly.
Therefore, do not indicate a temporary address above; instead, TRS suggests that you consult the U.S. Postal Service about having
your mail forwarded on a temporary basis.
As an additional confirmation of an address change, you must check the box below and write your initials in the space provided;
otherwise, the address change cannot be made, and the processing of this application would be delayed.

____ I understand that, as long as I complete this confirmation, TRS will update my address information to reflect the new
permanent address I have entered above.

PART B: Please refer to “Eligible Hardships and Required Documentation” on page 3 and provide the requested information.

In the space below, please provide a thorough and specific description of the sudden and heavy financial need that caused you to file
this application. In addition, you must attach documentation verifying this need. TRS would be unable to process this application if
you do not provide this description and supporting documentation.

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PART B (continued):
In the space below, please list the documentation that you have attached. If the documentation describes a hardship for a person
other than yourself, you must provide proof of the person’s relationship to you (e.g., a 1040 form).

Amount of your requested hardship withdrawal: $

PART C: You must answer all the questions below by checking all applicable boxes provided; please note that, even if you are not
eligible for a resource, you must check the appropriate box. TRS would be unable to process this application if you do not answer all
the questions.

Have you requested to withdraw any Not eligible Yes No

pre-1989 TDA funds (i.e., the TDA
contributions and earnings you accumulated
as of December 31, 1988)?

Tiers I/II members only: Have you requested Not eligible Yes No
to withdraw any excess QPP accumulations?

Have you maximized your available QPP Not eligible Yes No

and/or TDA loans?

Have you maximized any available loans Not eligible Yes No

from the City of New York Deferred
Compensation Plan (DCP)?

Have you maximized any available loans Not eligible Yes No

against home equity and/or life insurance policies?

Have you maximized any commercial Not eligible Yes No

loans available on reasonable terms?

Have you sought any available reimbursement Not eligible Yes No

or compensation from insurance and/or other sources?

Have you accessed any reasonably available Not eligible Yes No

assets without causing a sudden financial need?

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PART D: Please select how you would like to receive your TDA withdrawal; see EFT eligibility requirements on page 2. If
you are ineligible to receive your withdrawal via EFT, a check will be mailed to your home address.

by Mail via EFT

PART E: Please elect one withholding option below and write your initials in the space provided. If you do not make
an election, TRS would implement Option 2, provided you have additional TDA funds available for hardship
withdrawal; if you do not have additional funds available, TRS would make no withholding. (Under both options,
you are liable for any income tax that may be due on your hardship withdrawal, and you may be subject to tax penalties if
your payments of estimated tax and withholding are not sufficient under the IRC.)

____ Option 1: I elect NOT to have 10% withheld from my hardship withdrawal amount and applied toward my federal
income tax.
____ Option 2: I elect to have 10% withholding applied to my hardship withdrawal for crediting toward my federal
income tax for the year in which I receive my hardship withdrawal. TRS would add a dollar amount equaling the
10% withholding to the total dollar amount that I receive as a hardship withdrawal, provided I have additional
TDA funds available for hardship withdrawal.

PART F: Please read the following, then sign and date below.
I certify that I have a sudden and heavy financial need; therefore, I am applying for a TDA hardship withdrawal. I also certify that I
have read this application in its entirety, and that I maximized all available TRS and non-TRS resources before filing this application.
I understand that I am liable for any income tax that may be due on my hardship withdrawal, and that I may be subject to tax
penalties if my payments of estimated tax and withholding are not sufficient under the IRC.
I also understand that, if my application is approved, a hardship withdrawal would be issued on the first payroll that occurs at least
60 days after TRS receives this application. I am aware that this withdrawal would be final and cannot be cancelled.

MEMBER’S SIGNATURE ________________________________________________________ DATE (M/D/Y) ________________

PART F: TO BE COMPLETED BY A NOTARY (NOTE: Attestation made outside the U.S. must be executed before an American consul.)
State of ________________________________ )
) s.s.:
County of ______________________________ )

On the _______________ day of __________________________, __________, before me personally appeared the

person known to me to be __________________________________________________________________________, the

individual who executed the foregoing instrument and acknowledged to me that (s)he executed the same.

Signature: ___________________________________________________________

Official Title: _________________________________________________ Expiration Date of Commission: _____________

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