It's time to finish up your move by claiming your payment. This page explains how a PPM/DITY payment is calculated, how taxes fit in, and what to do if something's missing or went wrong — it's general background, not a substitute for your TO's specific instructions.
Documents you'll need
- The documents provided by your TO at your old duty station
- Weight tickets (see below)
- Expense receipts
- Official PCS orders
- Any other documents specified when your move was authorized
The exact process depends on your branch of the military and your installation. Follow the instructions you were given at your old duty station. You may file through a central office, through DPS/MilMove, or in person at your new duty station's TO followed by finance — ask which applies to you rather than assuming.
Weight tickets
You'll need both full and empty weight tickets from a certified scale, annotated the way your TO requires (typically a stamp and signature from the weighmaster). Getting this right matters — incomplete or incorrectly annotated tickets are a common source of payment delays. See weight tickets for the specific questions to settle with your TO before you weigh in.
If a ticket or document is missing, wrong, or you've already moved
Missing paperwork, a documentation error, or a move that already happened without prior counseling can mean a delay, a reduced payment, or in some cases no payment — it depends on the specifics, not a fixed rule. The right move is the same either way: contact your TO promptly, explain exactly what happened, and ask what can still be done. Don't assume a mistake automatically means the whole claim is lost, and don't try to work around a missing document yourself — never alter a weight ticket, recreate a signature, or claim an exception without your TO's sign-off. Let them tell you what's recoverable. See problems and claims for more recovery routes by situation.
How reimbursement is calculated
- Your payment is based on the weight of your goods and the distance moved — not on what you spend. Spend more than that amount and you come out behind on the move.
- What you spend does affect how much of your payment is taxable. Documented, approved operating expenses reduce the taxable portion; undocumented spending doesn't.
Illustration only — not a prediction
Suppose your authorized payment is $5,000, and your finance office accepts $3,000 of documented, approved operating expenses for the tax calculation. The remaining $2,000 is the taxable amount in this simplified example. At the current federal supplemental-wage withholding rate (22% as of this writing — confirm the current rate with your finance office), $440 is withheld, and the payment is $4,560 before any advance or other adjustment is subtracted.
Your final tax liability can end up higher or lower than the amount withheld once you file — withholding is a prepayment, not the final number. And not every receipt automatically counts as an approved operating expense; your finance office determines that, not the total you spent.
Taxes
Keep your settlement statement, receipts, advance records, and any separate moving-related W-2 together. A PPM/DITY move can generate a separate W-2 for that calendar year — filing without it can create a hassle later.
Qualifying military PCS moves can have moving-expense reimbursements reported in Box 12 with code "P", meaning that amount is excludable from income. That's the extent of what Code P tells you on its own — it doesn't mean every moving expense was unreimbursed, and it isn't a reason to give a particular answer to every tax-software question. If your software asks about uncovered moving expenses, answer based on your actual situation, not a shortcut. When you're unsure, use your service's tax assistance program or a qualified tax professional rather than guessing — getting this wrong can mean claiming (or missing) money you're not aware of.
Helpful Hints
- The finance office may return your expense receipts to you. Don't discard them — you'll need them if you're selected for an IRS audit.
- Ask questions before leaving your old duty station so you know what to expect when filing, and who to contact if something comes up mid-process.
- If you received an advance, remember it's money paid early against your eventual payment, not additional income on top of it — your service may require you to settle it within a set number of days.