How We Build and Check These Numbers

A clear source trail, explicit assumptions and visible limitations.

Trace every number to its source.

The 2026 basic pay, drill pay and BAS figures are imported from archived DFAS HTML. The rendered source snapshots were retrieved through Jina Reader on October 3, 2026. Retirement, TSP and tax rules link to the relevant government references.

DFAS basic pay tables2026 source snapshot importedView source DFAS drill pay tables2026 source snapshot importedView source DFAS BAS rates2026 source snapshot importedView source DTMO BAH rate lookupOfficial annual files importedView source DoD military retirementRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source DoD BRS implementation guidanceRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source DoD 2026 discount-rate memorandumRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source IRS 2026 contribution limitsRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source OPM FERS contributionsRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source SSA contribution and benefit basesRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source IRS Medicare withholding rulesRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source House proposal backgroundProposal background; enacted status not establishedView source Senate committee proposal backgroundRule reference; scenario assumptions applyView source

Verification is a published result.

Source imports and calculation tests run on every build. Unresolved source anomalies are withheld and listed under known limitations.

541 published basic-pay cells importedImported
497 published one-drill cells importedImported
489 drill cells match basic pay ÷ 30; 8 withheldDifferences
2025 → 2026 empirical recomputation: 541/541 exactMatched
15 BAH versions; 52/52 official query comparisonsMatched
10 official BRS outputs captured; 0 exact matchesDifferences

The April 2025 statutory table × 1.038, rounded to the nearest $0.30 with the published 2026 Executive Schedule caps, matches all 541 cells. Nearest $0.10 alone differs in 453 cells. This is an empirical full-table match; independent confirmation of rounding authority remains pending. We display imported 2026 rates and label 2027 figures as arithmetic projections. Eight E-1 drill cells (over 26–40 years) in the archived source disagree with monthly basic pay ÷ 30; those combinations return no amount pending confirmation.

Download pay comparisons (JSON) · BAH comparisons · BRS differences

Know the boundaries of an estimate.

  • BAH uses official annual archives. The 2026 TX270 temporary rates are versioned separately; 37 malformed 2016 ZIP mappings remain unavailable. Individual rate protection is not calculated.
  • Pay results annualize the selected month; they do not reconstruct your year-to-date payroll. Income tax, special pay, OHA, meal deductions and other deductions are excluded.
  • TSP models annual contributions at year-end, fixed 2026 limits, three-year FERS automatic-contribution vesting and two-year BRS vesting. Starting balance is assumed vested; individual two-year FERS exceptions and other employers’ contributions are not assessed.
  • BRS automatic contributions in the first service year use ten months as an approximation to the 60-day waiting period. Matching starts at two completed years and stops after 26; 2018 opt-in participants start matching immediately.
  • Retirement estimates cover regular active-duty pensions, not Reserve points, REDUX or disability retirement. The pay base is entered by you.
  • The BRS lump sum uses a simplified monthly present value in current dollars, a 2026 real rate of 6.46% and age 67 restoration. Ten official calculator outputs have been captured; this simplified model differs by up to 0.44% in that sample set. Exact dates and payment schedules are not aligned.
  • 2027 scenarios are arithmetic comparisons. They do not assert current enacted-law status.

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