January 2024:
Empower is requiring 2024 Form W-4P (irs.gov) or 2024 Form W-4R (irs.gov) forms with distribution requests. If you are requesting withholding, please put the dollar amount on this form (Empower can no longer accept a % written on the form). W-4P is for periodic payments, and the W-4R is for one-time withdrawals.
Retired clergy may choose to complete a Housing Allowance Distribution Form rather than the other Empower withdrawal forms, to have taxes suppressed (not withheld) and to receive a form 1099-R that states "taxable amount not determined."
That form is available by clicking here:
Housing Allowance Distribution Form (version to print and complete by hand).
Housing Allowance Distribution Form – fillable (version to complete on your computer)
NOTE: As of April 2024: If you wish to request a housing allowance RMD payment and have Empower calculate the RMD amount, you can now complete the RMD form and select the YES box for housing allowance. Call Empower to complete this over the phone or have them send you the RMD form (833-882-2023). See instructions on Completing the RMD Form for Housing Allowance.
You can also find the Housing Allowance Distribution form (only the printable version) in your online Empower account:
-Visit Empower and log in: uuaempower.com.
-If a window opens about "setting a monthly goal" or something like this, or a video opens, you can click cancel or close these.
-Click on Account at the top of the page, and then click on Overview.
-Then on the left click on Plan Forms (see image here).
-Next click on Housing Allowance Distribution Request (image below).
To request no federal and no state taxes to be withheld for periodic installment payments, please complete part F of the Housing Allowance Distribution form as shown in the image below - two boxes to be checked, one on each side. (If you were filling this out for tax suppression with a one-time withdrawal, you would instead check the box on the left for non-periodic installment payments.)
If you do want withholding, you will need to fill out the W-4P or W-4R to specify withholding amount(s).
W-4P and W-4R withholding forms:
The form W-4P recently became required for tax withholding changes. Some states have their own forms, as well. (The list of these states Empower shared is: AR, CA, CT, DE, IL, MA, MI, MN, MS, MT, NC, NE, OK, OR, RI, SC, VA). We know that participants have received conflicting information about these forms from Empower, so while we sort that out with them, here's what we recommend:
When completing your Housing Allowance Distribution form, we recommend everyone complete the Form W-4P and also the state form (if required for your state) to cover all your bases. Then submit these forms with your Housing Allowance Form.
For completing the W-4P, you may find the instructions on page 2 useful where it says:
"Choosing not to have income tax withheld. You can choose
not to have federal income tax withheld from your payments by
writing “No Withholding” on Form W-4P in the space below
Step 4(c). Then, complete Steps 1a, 1b, and 5."
This is the list of states and forms we received from Empower:
**If you are completing a housing allowance distribution request form for a one-time payment, please complete the Form W-4R rather than the W4-P. (The W4-R is for nonperiodic payments and the W-4P for periodic payments.)
You need to provide either the same W4-P or updated W4-P with each distribution request.
When requesting a new distribution or a change to a distribution in a new calendar year, Empower will need a new W4-P for that new tax year.
Submitting the Paperwork
After completing the forms, you can upload or mail to Empower (see part G on the Housing Allowance form). If you cannot upload the forms, another option is to fax them to Empower at: (866) 633-5212.
To upload, log in to your Empower account, and in the box on the right, click on Upload a document:
Or, if you are on the Accounts screen, you can click on Upload documents on the left:
You may note this statement on the form:
Any election on this Housing Allowance Withdrawal Form is effective for 180 days.
This means that if you would like to make a change to your scheduled withdrawals, you could do so for 180 days after signing, without needing to complete and sign a new form. After 180 days, you do need a new form to make changes. (You do not need to complete a new form every 180 days to continue payments as they are.)
Please contact retirementplan@uua.org with questions.