# What is my RMC?

Works out Regular Military Compensation (RMC): basic pay, BAH and BAS plus the federal tax advantage of the tax-free allowances, as a civilian salary you would need to match.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/rmc-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/rmc-calculator.json
- Version: eab670fcc303

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Basic pay a month $4,000.00, BAH a month $2,000.00, BAS a month $450.00, Tax filing status Single): With $4,000.00 basic pay, $2,000.00 BAH and $450.00 BAS a month, your RMC is about $83,320.51 a year.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| basic | Basic pay a month | Your monthly basic pay, from the pay table for your grade and years of service or your LES. |
| bah | BAH a month | Basic allowance for housing for your duty station, grade and dependents (0 if you live in government housing). |
| bas | BAS a month | Basic allowance for subsistence, from your LES. |
| status | Tax filing status | The status on your federal tax return. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rmc | RMC a year | Basic pay, BAH and BAS for 12 months plus the federal tax advantage. |
| monthly | RMC a month | Yearly RMC divided by 12. |
| cash | Pay and allowances a year | 12 × (basic pay + BAH + BAS). |
| advantage | Federal tax advantage | Extra taxable pay needed to keep the same after-tax income if BAH and BAS were taxed. |
| taxSaved | Federal tax saved | Federal income tax on basic pay plus allowances, minus the tax on basic pay alone. |

## Method

RMC = 12 × (basic pay + BAH + BAS) + tax advantage; tax advantage = G − 12 × (basic + BAH + BAS), where G − tax(G) = 12 × basic − tax(12 × basic) + 12 × (BAH + BAS), with 2026 federal income tax on income less the standard deduction.

## Assumptions

- Federal income tax for 2026: rate schedules and the standard deduction; no credits, other income or itemized deductions.
- Social Security, Medicare and state income tax are not part of the tax advantage.
- Special and incentive pays and bonuses are not part of RMC.

## Worked examples

1. basic = $4,000.00, bah = $2,000.00, bas = $450.00, status = single gives cash = $77,400.00, taxSaved = $4,618.00, advantage = $5,920.51, rmc = $83,320.51. Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 single brackets, $16,100 standard deduction): tax on $48,000 is $3,580.
2. basic = $3,000.00, bah = $0.00, bas = $0.00, status = single gives advantage = $0.00, rmc = $36,000.00. Source: 37 U.S.C. 101(25): with no allowances RMC is basic pay alone, $36,000.
3. basic = $6,000.00, bah = $3,000.00, bas = $330.00, status = mfj gives cash = $111,960.00, taxSaved = $4,795.20, advantage = $5,449.09. Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 joint brackets, $32,200 standard deduction): tax $4,280 on $72,000 and $9,075.20 on $111,960.

## FAQ

### What is RMC?

Regular Military Compensation is basic pay, the housing allowance (BAH), the food allowance (BAS), and the federal tax advantage of the allowances, which are not taxed (37 U.S.C. 101(25)). It is the civilian salary that would give the same pay after federal income tax.

### What is the tax advantage?

BAH and BAS are free of federal income tax. The tax advantage is the extra salary a civilian would need so that, after paying federal income tax on all of it, they keep as much as you do.

### Why is the tax advantage bigger than the tax I save?

A civilian pays tax on the extra salary too. The tax saved is the tax on your allowances; the tax advantage grosses that up: in the 22% bracket it is the extra tax divided by 0.78, more or less.

### Does RMC include special pays?

No. Special and incentive pays, bonuses, and the cost of benefits such as health care are not part of RMC.

## Sources

- United States Code, 37 U.S.C. 101(25) (definition of regular military compensation): https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/37/101?type=usc&year=mostrecent&link-type=html
- Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax rate schedules and standard deduction), IRB 2025-45: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2025-45_IRB