(a) The payment of tax levies and criminal restitution orders from the TSP is governed solely by the Federal Employees' Retirement Systems Act, 5 U.S.C. chapter 84, and by the terms of this subpart. Although the TSP record keeper will honor tax levies or criminal restitution orders properly issued, those entities have no jurisdiction over the TSP and the TSP cannot be made a party to the underlying proceedings.

(b) The TSP record keeper will review a tax levy or criminal restitution order to determine whether it is enforceable against the TSP record keeper only after it has received a complete copy of the document. Receipt by an employing agency or any other agency of the Government does not constitute receipt by the TSP record keeper. Tax levies and criminal restitution orders should be submitted to the TSP record keeper at the current address as provided at https://www.tsp.gov. Receipt by the TSP record keeper is considered receipt by the TSP. To be complete, a tax levy or criminal restitution order must meet all the requirements of § 1653.32 or § 1653.33; it must also provide (or be accompanied by a document or enforcement letter that provides):

(1) The participant's TSP account number or Social Security number (SSN); and

(2) The name and mailing address of the payee.

(c) As soon as practicable after the TSP record keeper receives a document that purports to be a qualifying tax levy or criminal restitution order, the participant's account will be frozen. After the participant's account is frozen, no TSP withdrawal or loan disbursements will be allowed until the account is unfrozen. All other account activity will be permitted, including contributions, loan repayments, adjustments, investment elections, fund reallocations, and fund transfers. Once a disbursement from the account is made in accordance with the restitution order or levy, the hold will be removed from the participant's account.

(d) As soon as practicable after receipt of a complete copy of a tax levy or criminal restitution order, the TSP record keeper will review it to determine whether it is qualifying as described in § 1653.32 or § 1653.33. The TSP record keeper will mail a decision letter to all parties containing the following information:

(1) A determination regarding whether the restitution order or levy is qualifying;

(2) A statement of the applicable statutes and regulations;

(3) An explanation of the effect the restitution order or levy has on the participant's TSP account; and

(4) If the qualifying restitution order or levy requires payment, the letter will provide:

(i) An explanation of how the payment will be calculated and an estimated amount of payment;

(ii) The anticipated date of payment.