Railroad retirement
and survivor benefits are financed by the following sources
of income:
- Payroll taxes on railroad earnings paid by covered
employees and employers.
- Earnings on investments.
- Revenues from Federal income taxes on railroad retirement
benefits.
- Income from a financial interchange with the social
security trust funds.
- Borrowing from general revenues related to certain
features of the financial interchange mentioned in (4).
- Appropriations from general revenues.
Each of these income sources is described briefly on the
following pages.
Payroll
Taxes
The primary source of income to the railroad retirement
system is payroll taxes levied on covered employers and
their employees.
The tax rate equivalent to that which would be paid under
social security is commonly called the tier I tax. The tier
I tax rate of 7.65 percent is divided into 6.20 percent
for railroad retirement and 1.45 percent for Medicare hospital
insurance. Payroll taxes in excess of the tier I rate are
called tier II taxes. Tier II taxes are 15.60 percent on
employers in 2002 and 4.90 percent on employees.
The Railroad Retirement and Survivors’ Improvement Act of
2001 significantly revised the financing of the railroad
retirement system through provisions for the investment
of railroad retirement funds in nongovernmental assets,
adjustments in the payroll tax rates paid by employers and
employees, and the repeal of a supplemental annuity work-hour
tax. Supplemental annuities continue to be payable and are
funded by the new National Railroad Retirement Investment
Trust, effective January 1, 2002.
The tier II tax rate on rail employers was reduced from
16.10 percent to 15.60 percent in 2002 and to 14.20 percent
in 2003. The tier II tax rate for rail employee representatives
is 14.75 percent in calendar year 2002 and 14.20 percent
in 2003. An employee representative is a labor official
of a noncovered labor organization who represents employees
covered under the Acts administered by the Railroad Retirement
Board.
While there is no change in the tier II tax rate of 4.90
percent on employees in the years 2002 and 2003, beginning
with the taxes payable for calendar year 2004, tier II taxes
on both employers and employees will be based on an “average
account benefits ratio.” Depending on the average account
benefits ratio, the tier II tax rate for employers will
range between 8.20 percent and 22.10 percent, while the
tier II tax rate for employees will be between 0 percent
and 4.90 percent.
The “account benefits ratio” is, with respect to any fiscal
year, the amount determined by the Railroad Retirement Board
by dividing the fair market value of the assets in the Railroad
Retirement Account and the National Railroad Retirement
Investment Trust as described on pages 70-71 (and for years
before 2002, the Social Security Equivalent Benefits Account)
as of the close of such fiscal year by the total benefits
and administrative expenses paid from the Railroad Retirement
Account and the National Railroad Retirement Investment
Trust during such fiscal year. If the ratio is not an exact
multiple of 0.1, it is raised to the next highest multiple
of 0.1.
Likewise, the term “average account benefits ratio” means,
with respect to any calendar year, the average determined
by the Secretary of the Treasury of the account benefits
ratios for the 10 most recent fiscal years ending before
such calendar year.
Tier I taxes are ultimately transferred to the social security
and hospital insurance trust funds through the financial
interchange. The tier II tax is used to finance tier II
benefits, supplemental annuity benefits, and also the portion
of tier I benefits not reimbursed through the financial
interchange.
Earnings
Base
The taxable amounts of an employee’s earnings are subject
to tier I and tier II maximums, which are both indexed to
annual increases in national wage levels. The tier I maximum
is the same as the social security wage base and is higher
than the tier II base as a result of 1977 social security
amendments, which provided for a series of yearly increases
in the social security tax base that effected corresponding
increases in the railroad retirement tier I tax base. The
December 2001 legislation did not affect the tier I or tier
II earnings bases.
Investments
December 2001 legislation provided greater
latitude in the investment of railroad retirement assets
effective January 1, 2002. Under prior law, the investment
of funds not needed immediately for benefit payments or
administrative expenses had been limited to interest-bearing
securities restricted to obligations of the U.S. Government,
obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by the
U.S. Government, or other obligations that are lawful investments
for trust funds of the United States.
The legislation provided for the transfer of railroad retirement
funds from the Railroad Retirement Account and the Social
Security Equivalent Benefit Account to a new National Railroad
Retirement Investment Trust, whose Board of Trustees is
empowered to invest Trust assets, other than assets transferred
from the Social Security Equivalent Benefit Account, in
nongovernmental assets, such as equities and debt, as well
as in governmental securities. In addition, the Railroad
Retirement Supplemental Account is being eliminated and
the balance of the account will be transferred to the Trust.
The National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust is not
treated as an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government.
Its Board of Trustees is comprised of seven members: three
members selected by rail labor to represent the interests
of labor; three members selected by rail management to represent
the interests of management; and one independent member
selected by a majority of the other six members. Trustees
are appointed only from among persons who have experience
and expertise in the management of financial investments
and pension plans. The members are appointed for three-year
terms. However, the initial labor and management members
were divided into three groups, with one group appointed
for a one-year term, one group for a two-year term, and
one group for a three-year term.
The Trustees are authorized to retain independent advisors
to assist in the formulation and adoption of investment
guidelines; retain independent investment managers to invest
the assets of the Trust in a manner consistent with such
investment guidelines; and invest assets of the Trust, pursuant
to such guidelines.
The Trustees are subject to reporting and fiduciary standards
similar to Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
requirements with respect to fiduciaries of private employee
pension benefit plans. However, no rules similar to the
funding requirements of ERISA and related provisions apply
to the Trustees, the Trust, or Trust assets.
Income
Taxes on Railroad Retirement Benefits
Social security amendments in 1983 subjected
railroad retirement tier I benefits to Federal income taxes
on the same basis as social security benefits, and subsequent
railroad retirement legislation subjected benefits over
and above social security levels to Federal income tax on
the same basis as private and public service pensions, beginning
with taxable year 1984. Revenues from income taxes on tier
I, tier II and vested dual benefits are used for benefit
payments.
Financial
Interchange
Purpose
and History of Financial Interchange
The financial interchange between the railroad retirement
and social security systems is intended to put the Social
Security Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
and Hospital Insurance (HI) trust funds in the same position
they would have been had railroad employment been covered
under the Social Security and Federal Insurance Contributions
Acts. It follows that all computations under the financial
interchange are performed according to social security law.
The amount of benefits payable under the Railroad Retirement
Act has no effect on the results.
The financial interchange provision was introduced by the
1951 amendments to the Railroad Retirement Act and was made
retroactive to January 1, 1937. The initial determination
covered the period from January 1937 through June 1952 and
indicated a balance of $488.2 million in favor of the social
security system. Only interest was paid on that amount until
the debt was liquidated by subsequent offsets in favor of
the railroad retirement system. Since the liquidation of
the original balance, annual transfers reflecting the experience
of the preceding fiscal year have always favored railroad
retirement.
The experience under the financial interchange proved to
be more favorable to the railroad retirement system than
was originally anticipated. There were two primary causes
for this. The first was a series of successive amendments
to the Social Security Act which raised benefits immediately
while tax increases were deferred. The second factor was
the decline in railroad employment, which reduced the taxes
payable to social security but had little immediate effect
on the benefit reimbursements.
Financial
Interchange Determinations
Placing the social security trust funds in the same position
they would have been had railroad employment been covered
under social security since its inception involves computing
the amount of social security payroll and income taxes relating
to railroad employment and computing the amount of additional
benefits which social security would have paid to railroad
retirement beneficiaries during the same fiscal year. In
the computation of the latter amount, credit is given for
any social security benefits actually paid to railroad retirement
beneficiaries. When benefit reimbursements exceed payroll
and income taxes, the difference, with an allowance for
interest and administrative expenses, is transferred from
the social security trust funds to the railroad retirement
trust funds. If taxes exceed benefit reimbursements (this
has not happened since 1951), a transfer would be made in
favor of the social security trust funds.
Borrowing
From General Revenues Related to the Financial Interchange
Financial interchange transfers are made in
a lump sum for a whole fiscal year in the June following
the close of a fiscal year. At any time, therefore, there
are between 9 and 21 months’ worth of financial interchange
transfers which in a sense are owed the Board. The Board
receives interest on this money, so this practice does no
long-term harm to the financial condition of the railroad
retirement trust funds. The lag in the transfers, however,
periodically caused short-term cash-flow problems in past
years.
In order to avoid any further cash-flow problems from this
lag, the 1983 Solvency Act provided for monthly loans from
U.S. Treasury general funds. Each loan is equal to an estimate
of the transfer the Board would have received in the preceding
month if the financial interchange with social security
were on an up-to-date basis, with interest adjustments.
The Board must repay these loans when it receives the transfer
from social security against which the money was advanced.
Approptiations
From General Revenues
Prior to the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974,
concurrent social security benefits (dual benefits) payable
to railroad retirement annuitants had a significant effect
on the amount of the financial interchange. Consider the
example of two hypothetical employees shown on the following
table.
The size of the benefits is appropriate to the early 1970’s.
The employees are assumed to have identical dates of birth,
dates of retirement, and histories of railroad earnings.
One employee, however, is assumed to have had just enough
covered employment under social security to qualify for
a social security benefit. (The difference in railroad retirement
benefits arises from minor reductions in the 1937 Act formula
for receipt of a social security benefit.)
Two conclusions are apparent. First, the employee with benefits
under both systems received an advantage over the career
railroad worker, which many considered unfair. In the example,
the employee who is eligible for social security collects
$80 more than the employee who is not eligible (the difference
in line C); while, under a completely integrated system,
the social security earnings would have added only $20 (the
difference in line D). Second, because social security subtracted
the social security benefit in calculating the financial
interchange transfer, railroad retirement paid most of the
cost of these benefits. In the example, this is represented
by the $60 difference in line F.
Table
5. -- Example
of Effects of Dual Benefits
on Financial Interchange |
Item |
Employee
eligible for
social security |
Employee
not eligible for social security |
(A)
Railroad
retirement benefit |
$380 |
$400 |
(B)
Social
security benefit |
100 |
- |
(C)
Total
benefit, A + B |
480 |
400 |
(D)
Social
security benefit on combined earnings (gross tier 1) |
240 |
220 |
(E)
Financial
interchange transfer from social security to railroad
retirement, D - B |
140 |
220 |
(F)
Amount
to be financed by excess of railroad retirement taxes
over social security taxes, A - E |
240 |
180 |
This situation was a major cause of the poor
financial condition of the railroad retirement system in
the early 1970’s. In order to improve the system’s financial
condition, the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 provided
that the tier I component of the railroad retirement annuity
be reduced by any social security benefit. This essentially
integrated the two systems and eliminated the advantage
of qualifying for benefits under both systems.
However, it was generally considered unfair to eliminate
this advantage entirely for those already retired or close
to retirement when the 1974 Act became effective. The 1974
Act, therefore, provided for a restoration of social security
benefits which were considered vested at the end of 1974.
The restored amount is known as the “vested dual benefit.”
This benefit was initially available to qualifying spouses
and survivors as well as to qualifying employees. The vested
dual benefit was explained in the previous chapter on benefit
provisions. Eventually, after a period of several decades,
the vested dual benefit will be entirely phased out.
Under the 1974 Act, appropriations had been authorized from
general revenues for the phase-out costs of vested dual
benefits. The amounts were to be sufficient to fund (on
a level payment basis over the years 1976-2000) the vested
dual benefit for new accruals and for beneficiaries on the
rolls. The yearly amount was to be reviewed every three
years at the time of each actuarial valuation.
The costs of these vested dual benefit payments, which were
intended to be funded solely from general revenues, were
substantially more than the amount estimated at the time
the 1974 Act was passed, and substantially more than the
funds that were appropriated between 1974 and 1981. To stop
the resulting drain on the Railroad Retirement Account,
the 1981 amendments established a Dual Benefits Payments
Account. This account is credited with the general revenue
appropriations, and it is charged with vested dual benefit
payments. The Board is required to adjust vested dual benefit
payments from this account so that the amounts paid to annuitants
do not exceed the amounts appropriated.
Financial
Position of the
Railroad Retirement System
The financial condition of the railroad retirement
system is closely related to the size of the railroad work
force. This is because, as mentioned previously, the primary
source of income to the system is the payroll tax on covered
employers and their employees. Clearly, a large labor force
will generate more revenue for the system than a small labor
force. Railroad employment has declined steeply over the
years and the drop in employment necessitated the strong
corrective action taken in the 1981 and 1983 amendments.
In the absence of these amendments, substantial reductions
in payments to current beneficiaries would have been required.
The omnibus budget legislation enacted December 22, 1987,
increased railroad retirement payroll tax rates in January
1988 by a total of two percent, and it provided for revenues
from Federal income taxes on certain railroad retirement
benefits to be transferred to the railroad retirement system
for an additional year, fiscal year 1989. Subsequent legislation
extended these income tax transfers on a permanent basis.
The Board’s recent railroad retirement financial reports
to Congress have been generally favorable. The 2002 report,
which addressed the 25-year period 2002-2026, contained
generally favorable information concerning railroad retirement
financing. It indicated that cash-flow problems arise only
under a pessimistic employment assumption and then not until
calendar year 2022. However, the 2002 report indicated that
the long-term stability of the system, under its current
financing structure, is still dependent on future railroad
employment levels, and on investment returns. No railroad
retirement financing changes were recommended by the Board.
Table
6. -- Railroad
Retirement and Survivor Program Consolidated Financing
Sources, Costs and Net Position (Millions)1/
|
For
the fiscal year ended September 30, |
2001 |
2000
(Restated) |
Financing
Sources: |
|
Payroll taxes |
$4,693.9 |
$4,754.9 |
Financial interchange |
3,407.3 |
2,717.8 |
Interest on investments |
1,118.2 |
1,146.8 |
Net gain on sale
of securities |
198.8 |
22.8 |
Federal income
taxes |
337.0 |
476.0 |
General appropriations |
146.1 |
154.4 |
Other |
14.4 |
16.6 |
|
Total financing sources |
$9,915.7 |
$9,289.3 |
|
Costs: |
|
Benefit payments |
$ 8,418.8 |
$8,302.9 |
Interest expense |
221.1 |
219.1 |
Salaries and expenses2/ |
97.2 |
97.3 |
Other |
2.0 |
1.6 |
|
Total costs |
$
8,739.1 |
$
8,620.9 |
|
Financing sources over costs |
$ 1,176.6 |
$
668.4 |
Net position - beginning of
period |
18,629.6 |
17,961.8 |
Non-operating adjustments |
(1.4) |
(0.6) |
|
Net position - end of period |
$19,804.8 |
$18,629.6 |
1/
Prepared on an accrual basis of accounting.
2/ Includes unemployment
and sickness insurance salaries and expenses of approximately
$14.1 million and $14.9 million for fiscal years 2001
and 2000, respectively. |
|