• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military & Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
    • Veterans Day Deals & Discounts
    • Veterans Day Free Meals
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor Benefits
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • 2021 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • VA Home Loan Tools
  • Money & Finance
    • 2021 Defense Budget
    • 2021 Military Pay Charts
    • 2021 BAS Rates
    • 2021 Military Pay
    • COLA Watch 2022
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
    • School Search
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits

Military Benefits

Military Benefits Information for US Military, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Military Spouses and Military Family

You are here: Home / Resources / Calculating a Personally Procured Move

Calculating a Personally Procured Move

by MilitaryBenefits

Calculating A PPMA Personally Procured Move (PPM), formerly known as a DITY Move, has a few benefits over a Government Procured Move (GPM). A PPM allows you to have complete control over the process including packing your own household goods and choosing which moving company you want to use (if any), but it also gives you more time to complete the move – an added benefit if you’ve received last minute orders and are unable to schedule a military moving company within a short turnaround.

But, the number one reason many military families choose to utilize a PPM is the potential to make money. If you opt for a PPM, the government will pay you 95 percent of what it would cost for a GPM, in addition to the standard travel allowances for your family. If you spend less than the amount you received, you are not obligated to return what you did not spend. Ask around and you’ll hear tales of some service members making thousands of dollars from a PPM.


Here is a simple way to determine whether or not moving yourself will prove profitable:

Reimbursement Amount – Moving Expenses = X (Profit or Loss)

Reimbursement Amount = The amount you will receive before any expenses determined by the weight of your goods and the distance to your next duty station. This number will be provided to you when you fill out your paperwork with your installation’s travel office. You can also utilize this Personally Procured Move Estimator to estimate how much the military will pay you to move yourself.

Moving Expenses = This amount includes how much you’ll spend to actually complete the move and includes cost of gas, furniture pads, boxes, hired labor, etc.

X = The amount you will make once the move has completed. If X is a positive number – great! If X is a negative number, you might want to reconsider doing a PPM move based on your reasons for moving yourself.

Keep in mind that if you come out at a profit, whatever you “pocket” is considered taxable income. The military will automatically withhold approximately 22 percent of your profits and send you a W2 to file with your tax returns.

You’ll also want to be aware of what operating expenses you can claim on your tax returns. Operating expenses are goods that service members pay for that lower their taxable income. Here is a list of what’s authorized and what isn’t:

Authorized Expenses Unauthorized Expenses
Rental Truck/Trailer Safe Move Insurance
Hand Truck/Dollies-Rental Purchase of Auto Transporter/Dollies

Extra Drivers

Furniture Pads Totes
Boxes/Tape Oil Change/Lube
Oil/Fuel Meals/Lodging
Tolls Sales Tax
Hired Labor Hitch Fees/Tow Bars
Rope/Tarps/Tie-Downs/Tie Straps Routine Maintenance
Packing Material Storage
Weight Ticket Fees Locks
PODS Tire Chains
Environmental Fees

Moving is a stressful experience by itself, so it’s important to determine beforehand why you’re considering a PPM move. If your reasons have everything to do with how your personal items are handled and stored or time constraints, then a PPM might be worth it even at a loss. If your motivations are purely financial, be sure to know your numbers beforehand.


About The AuthorKristen Baker-Geczy is a communications specialist, active duty military spouse, and former MWR marketing coordinator. She was also deployed to Southwest Asia as an Air Force contractor.


Related Articles
Personally Procured Move (PPM) Should You Buy A Home While On Active Duty
3 Tips to Make a PCS a Little Easier PCS (Permanent Change of Station) Packing Tips
PCS Tips For Military Families PCS, TDY, and Deployments

Filed Under: Resources

Comments

Popular Articles

New VA Loan Limit Rules

VA Disability Rates

2021 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

2021 BAH Rates

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Join Our Military Benefits Newsletter!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
MilitaryBenefits.info Copyright © 2021

Disclaimer: This is a private website that is NOT affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site contains information about GI Bill benefits, VA loans, news and services for military veterans and is not connected with any government agency. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by Veteran Affairs, visit the official site for veterans benefits at Veterans Affairs. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Advertiser Disclosure: Our website contains some affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or services.