Hank retires this year after working 30 years for Local Company. Per the terms of his employment contract, Hank is to receive a pension of $600 per month for the rest of his life. During the current year, he receives 7 pension payments from Local. At the time of his retirement, Hank is single and 67 years old.
a. How much taxable income does Hank have if his employer's plan was noncontributory (i.e., Local Company paid the entire cost of the plan; Hank made no contributions to it)?
b. How would your answer change if Hank had contributed $42,000 to the pension plan? Assume that the $42,000 had been included in Hank's income (i.e., he has already paid tax on the $42,000).
c. What if Hank had contributed $42,000 to the plan and none of the $42,000 were taxed (i.e., the tax law allows certain pension contributions to go untaxed during the contribution period)?