mypay question again please help !?

Question

I am filling up and application for tuition assistance and I need to fill up the military untaxed income worksheet . I do not know what to put in :

OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance)
Meal Card
Separate rations/BAS (basic allowance for subsistence)
BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing)

I thought BAH and OHA is the same . Are they ? If not where do I find OHA value ? We are currently stationed here in Japan . On my husband's LES he has BASE PAY / BAS /BAH / CAREER SEA PAY / COLA , nothing about OHA and meal card . I thought meal card was the same as BAS . there's meal deduction but I don't think it's the meal card since it's a deduction and not actually an income . Please help me out !

Answer 1

Not all locations have OHA. OHA is the added monies given to an individual, to make them on an equal footing with a person in the states. For example. If you are an E-6 in the states and get $500 for housing allowance which equates to a 3 bedroom house, and for the same house in Japan it would cost $1800. The $1300 additional amount would be given to the person in Japan, so that they could have the same level of housing. A meal card is used instead of BAS. You don't get both. As for the form you are filling out, I wouldn't list any of them, since they are not classified as income. They are allowances. Untaxed income would be, for example...the difference of military pay while in a combat zone, (military pay is not taxed in combat areas), or Overseas pay, etc.

Answer 2

OHA is BAH but for when you are stationed overseas (Overseas Housing Allowance).

BAS and Meal Card are the same, but he is not getting the money for the BAS as income anymore because the military is feeding him directly, he's not living on his own buying groceries so it is a deduction. They give him the money, but the ship or the command gets it back to buy the food he is eating.

Answer 3

Look up the BAH and OHA at the below links.

A service member either gets a meal card or BAS. The value is equal, but they are not quite the same thing.

Answer 4

if you live in base housing, you are not getting OHA. If you live off base, OHA is your rent. of course you have to convert it from Yen.

the Meal card is provided to Single Sailors who are authorized to eat in the Base Galley, so again, you wouldn't have that listed. he is getting BAS, but if he is on sea duty, it will come back out, espcially when they are underway. You may have to list COLA, I forget whether or not you have to. Since Sea Pay is taxable, that goes onthe other woirksheet.

Answer 5

You need to go to the College rep and have them walk you through everything. They might point out stuff that you need to know also, plus, you'll be talking to the experts.