Form TSP-1 at a glance
What it is: Form TSP-1, the Thrift Savings Plan Election Form, starts, stops, or changes the amount of your contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
Where and when to file: Submit the completed form to your agency personnel or benefits office.
A filled-in Form TSP-1 example: an employee starts contributions
How to fill out Form TSP-1, box by box
I. Information about you
In Section I, complete all items.
Enter your name (Last, First, Middle), street address, city, state, zip code, Social Security Number, daytime phone (area code and number), and office identification (agency and organization).
II. Choose your contribution amount
To start or change the amount of traditional (pre-tax) or Roth (after-tax) contributions, enter either a whole percentage of your basic pay per pay period or a whole dollar amount per pay period for each type of contribution you elect.
Traditional (pre-tax) contributions: complete either Item 6 (percentage) or Item 7 (dollar amount), not both. Roth (after-tax) contributions: complete either Item 8 (percentage) or Item 9 (dollar amount), not both.
You may choose a percentage for one type of contribution and a dollar amount for the other type of contribution.
If you leave a line blank next to a contribution type, the blank line indicates a contribution amount of 0% or $0 (checked October 20, 2026).
If you choose a percentage of basic pay, your contribution amount will automatically increase when you receive a pay raise. If you choose a dollar amount per pay period, your contribution amount will not increase when you receive a pay raise; you must submit a new Form TSP-1 to change the amount.
Your choice will cancel all previous elections.
You can elect to make traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) contributions at the same time.
You can find contribution limit amounts for the current year on tsp.gov. In most cases, the total of your traditional and Roth contributions cannot exceed the elective deferral limit.
III. Stop some or all of your contributions
Complete Item 10 to stop all or just one type of your contributions.
To stop some or all of your contributions to the TSP, check the box in Item 10 that applies.
In Item 10: I choose not to save for my retirement. Stop all my payroll contributions to my TSP account. Stop only my traditional (pre-tax) payroll contributions to my TSP account. Stop only my Roth (after-tax) payroll contributions to my TSP account.
Your payroll contributions will stop no later than the first full pay period after your agency personnel or benefits office receives this form.
You may restart your contributions at any time.
IV. Your signature
You must complete Section IV.
Sign as Participant's Signature (11) and write the Date Signed (mm/dd/yyyy) (12).
V. For employing office use only
Section V is to be completed by the personnel or benefits office. The Receipt Date (Item 14) is the date that a properly completed form is received by the agency personnel office.
After your agency completes Section V, your agency should give you a copy for your records.
If the form has not been properly completed, it should be returned to the employee.
The Effective Date (Item 15) must be no later than the first full pay period after receipt of a properly completed form.
More rules for Form TSP-1
You may start, stop, or change your contributions at any time. Your TSP election will stay in effect until you submit another election or until you leave federal service.
To choose your investment funds, see the instructions in the General Information section on the second page of this form. You can find more information about your fund options on tsp.gov.
For new TSP participants, all contributions to your account will be invested in the Lifecycle Fund (L Fund) most appropriate for your age unless you direct TSP to allocate your contributions differently.
If your situation is different
Turning 50 or older: catch-up contributions
If you're turning 50 or older and want to make catch-up contributions, your contributions will automatically start counting toward the IRS catch-up limit after you meet the IRS elective deferral limit. You don't need to make a separate catch-up contribution election. If your income for the prior year is more than the IRS wage threshold for that year, any catch-up contributions you make must be designated as Roth, regardless of your current election. For example, the requirement applies in 2026 if you earned more than $150,000 in 2025 (checked October 20, 2026). This amount is adjusted annually for inflation. If you don't want to contribute to your Roth TSP balance, you can stop your contributions at any time. (Read instructions for details about contribution limits and catch-up eligibility.)
If you're turning 50 or older and earned more than the IRS wage threshold: If you don't want your catch-up contributions to go into your Roth TSP balance (see Section II), select the first box in Item 10: “I choose not to save for my retirement. Stop all my payroll contributions to my TSP account.” No other selection will stop your catch-up contributions from being made as Roth contributions.
Newly hired or rehired employees
If you are a newly hired (or rehired) employee, you may be able to stop your automatic employee contributions before they start if your agency personnel or benefits office receives this form before the end of your first full pay period. Read instructions for details. You can stop your automatic employee contributions before they start if you submit this form to your agency at the start of your first full pay period, subject to your agency's processing deadlines.
For newly hired or rehired FERS or CSRS employees, your agency automatically deducts 5% of your pay, tax-deferred, and deposits the money in your TSP account for your retirement savings.
If you want all or any portion of your automatic contributions to be after-tax Roth contributions, you must complete Section II and indicate what percentages or amounts you want as traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) contributions.
If your agency has already begun to deduct your automatic employee contributions from your pay each pay period, you are entitled to request a refund of your initial contributions. To make this request, log in to My Account or use the ThriftLine Service Center. Your refund request must be received within 90 days of your first contribution.
FERS employees who stop contributions
FERS employees: Your Agency Automatic (1%) Contributions will continue after you stop your employee contributions, but you will no longer receive valuable Agency Matching Contributions. If you restart your contributions, the matching contributions will resume.
Before you go
Before completing this form, read the booklet Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan on tsp.gov and the instructions on the second page of this form.
Type or print all information.
Common questions about Form TSP-1
What is the phone number for the Thrift Savings Plan customer service?
To manage your investments, log in to My Account on tsp.gov or call the ThriftLine at 1-877-968-3778. Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 404-233-4400 (not toll-free).
Where do I file it?
Submit the completed form to your agency personnel or benefits office.
Sources
[1] Form TSP-1 (12/2025), Thrift Savings Plan Election Form, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (the Official source link on this page).