Any UW employee using payroll deduction for U-PASS or for parking on the Seattle campus or at UW Medical Center or Harborview Medical Center is eligible to participate in this program.
Federal tax law (Internal Revenue Code Sec. 132(f)) allows qualified transportation payroll deductions of up to a maximum of $175 per month to be taken before federal income or Social Security taxes are calculated. Savings in federal income and Social Security taxes will generally equal about 20% of the U-PASS or parking deduction.
Participating in this plan will not alter the amount you can defer to either the Voluntary Investment Program (VIP) or your basic retirement plan (UW Retirement Plan (UWRP), Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), or Law Enforcement Officers' (LEOFF)).
Savings in Social Security taxes will result in a reduction in the amount of your Social Security salary base. Your Social Security benefits are based on many years of earnings, so the reduction in benefits may be very small. However, if you are within a few years of retirement and want your lifetime Social Security benefits to be calculated on the highest possible average salary, you may want to use the Pre-Tax Transportation Waiver Form to opt out of the Pre-Tax Transportation Plan.
Your transportation deductions will automatically be taken as pre-tax unless you submit a Pre-Tax Transportation Plan Waiver Form to Benefits & Work/Life. Annually, in December, you can change your waiver option for the next tax year.
For more information about transportation to the UW or about parking or U-PASS, see the websites below:
You can contact the Harborview Transportation Office at 206-731-3254.
If you have specific questions about the pre-tax transportation deduction or waiver, email Benefits & Work/Life.
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