Sell leave or use leave?

2015-02-19T18:41:49-05:00

What are the benefits to using leave or selling leave

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2015 6:47 PM

2015-02-19T18:47:09-05:00

Use it and get the bennies that come with it. Things like BAH, BAS, etc. If you sell it, all you get is the base pay. I think the traditional advice is to use it as terminal leave and collect the extra money you are due.

Response by SFC James Rigdon made Feb 19 at 2015 6:50 PM

2015-02-19T18:50:09-05:00

Sir, my wife says if we stay here we still get the benefits as if we are on leave anyways because we get a the wage, BAH is covered, COLA, and the when we get out we get like an additional 6000 for the Selling of the leave

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2015 7:15 PM

2015-02-19T19:15:48-05:00

DEFINITELY use it if you can. My first mob I sold it back...... my second mob I never got a chance to use it. In your career you only get 60 days to sell back. I have used 56..... so I am in danger of losing it if I get mobilized again.

Also, you don't get BAH and other allowances. Just your base pay. And that is taxed heavily....so I highly discourage doing that.
v/r,
CPT Butler

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Feb 19 at 2015 7:22 PM

2015-02-19T19:22:17-05:00

Financially, selling your leave will put you in a better situation. However, not everybody wants to be hanging around their unit until the very last day.

Let's say you have 60 days before getting out and 60 days of leave...

Scenario 1: You use your leave, which mean that you were on leave for 60 days and got your normal paycheck during those 60 days. At the end of it, that's all there is.

Scenario 2: You don't use your leave, which means you worked for those 60 days and still got you normal paycheck during those 60 days, but then you get the bonus of 60 days of base pay at the end of it.

In the end, you will make more money selling your leave. However, some people may feel awkward hanging around their unit for 60 days before getting out if they are not contributing much, and may feel like it's better to just rip the band aid off and move on... so that would depend on the individual's situation. From a financial point of view, it would always be better to collect pay and BAH while still serving, and then selling your leave afterwards.

EDIT updated: As correctly pointed out by TSgt Joshua Copeland, if you plan to basically not take time off and start a new job during your terminal leave and it pays at least as much as your total salary now, then you will make more by not selling your leave and just sliding right into your new job while on terminal leave. However, that also means no time off after 20+ years of service, which may not be desirable.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2015 8:07 PM

2015-02-19T20:07:54-05:00

Don't sell it. You won't get bah for the time you sell.

Response by SPC Patrick Flournoy made Feb 19 at 2015 10:19 PM

2015-02-19T22:19:04-05:00

when i got out they advised me to take my leave that i could and sell the rest cause if you take it you still get your BAH and all if you sell it you don't

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Feb 21 at 2015 10:00 PM

2015-02-21T22:00:40-05:00

Use it, selling it loses you the BAH for those days.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 21 at 2015 10:55 PM

2015-02-21T22:55:22-05:00

I never recommend selling leave!

Here is the reason, not only do you not get the additional pays but the measly base pay is then taxed as a bonus. Therefore you actually lose a ton of money which you earned through being loyal to the Unit, ARMY, and United States.

This is the reason that you should USE it at all Cost is possible SFC James Rigdon.

Response by PO2 Terri Myre made Feb 22 at 2015 1:08 AM

2015-02-22T01:08:54-05:00

I think it all depends on your situation. I sold 30 days of leave when I got out. It helped pay to ship my vehicle over to Hawaii. The government wouldn't pay for it so selling my leave saved my behind. Although I must say that having to be at work until the very last day was awful!!!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 23 at 2015 6:07 PM

2015-02-23T18:07:37-05:00

I sold my leave for the simple reason that I went INDEF and would be the last time I could sell leave. If you are separating I suggest keep it, unless you simply want to leave sooner. You only receive base pay and not the other entitlements, therefore losing money in the back end. Either way choice wisely. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Response by LCpl Forest Konwerski made Jun 17 at 2016 12:48 PM

2016-06-17T12:48:37-04:00

Can i sell leave before i get out?