Military Personnel: Active Duty Compensation and Its Tax Treatment

Abstract

The Department of Defense's (DOD) total military compensation package for active duty members consists of both cash and noncash benefits. Since the late 1990s, Congress and the DOD have increased military cash compensation by increasing basic pay and allowances for housing, among other things. Military members also receive tax breaks, which are a part of their cash compensation. Moreover, active duty personnel are offered substantial noncash benefits, such as retirement, healthcare, commissaries, and childcare. In some cases, these noncash benefits exceed those available to private-sector personnel. DOD relies heavily on noncash benefits because it views benefits as critical to morale, retention, and the quality of life for service members and their families.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 07, 2004
Accession Number
AD1167678

Entities

People

  • Derek B. Stewart
  • James R. White

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accounting
  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Business Administration
  • Children
  • Compensation
  • Congress
  • Data Centers
  • Department Of Defense
  • Electronic Mail
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Families (Human)
  • Family Size
  • Governments
  • Health Care
  • Military Personnel
  • Money
  • Motivation
  • Quality Of Life
  • Reenlistment
  • Taxes
  • United States
  • Websites

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Care for Military Service Members and Veterans with Limb Loss or Disability.