The following explanation concerning changes to tax withholding amounts in pension payments is courtesy of GM:

As of January 1, 2011, the optional Making Work Pay Credit withholding adjustment will no longer be a part of the Federal withholding tables. The impact to retirees receiving qualified recurring (pension) benefits will be that Federal withholding will be reduced by a maximum of $33.40 (i.e., the net pension benefit will be higher) if a withholding marital status is “single.” Withholding will be reduced by a maximum of $50.00 if a marital status is “married.”

In addition to the Making Work Pay Credit change, there are also Federal tax changes that will impact withholding. The expectation is that these changes will show up in the February 1st or March 1st pension payments. Some states withholding amounts are linked to Federal withholding. Since Federal withholding will be changing for some retirees, their state withholding may also change slightly.

Based on a preliminary analysis of the 2011 Federal tax tables, some retirees who never had withholding will see it for the first time because the starting point for withholding is lower in 2011 than it was in 2010. Other retirees may see slight increases or decreases. This is similar to what happens every year.

Additionally, beginning January 1st four states have made changes to state withholding requirements for pension benefits: Michigan, California, Kentucky and Minnesota. As an example, in Michigan, the exemption amount is changing from $3,600 to $3,700.

Finally, as a reminder, retirees are responsible for withholding enough money from their pension payments to meet their tax obligations. If retirees have questions or concerns regarding their withholding, they may call the GM Benefits and ServicesCenter at 1-800-489-4646 to ask any questions or to request a change to meet their individual tax needs.