Defense Finance and Accounting Service

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) website (dfas.mil) serves as the primary online portal for the agency responsible for finance and accounting services within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

History, Definition, and Goals

Definition: DFAS is the world's largest finance and accounting operation, functioning essentially as the central accounting firm for the entire U.S. Department of Defense.

History: Established in 1991, DFAS was created as part of a DoD consolidation initiative aimed at standardizing, streamlining, and improving finance and accounting operations across the military services and defense agencies. This consolidation sought to reduce costs and enhance efficiency and accuracy.

Goals: The primary goals of DFAS, reflected through its website, are to:

• Deliver efficient, high-quality pay services to DoD military members, civilian personnel, retirees, and annuitants.
• Provide accurate and timely financial information and accounting support to DoD decision-makers and components.
• Ensure the proper disbursement of funds to contractors and vendors supporting the DoD mission.
• Maintain fiscal accountability and provide secure access to financial services and information.

Core Functions and Features

The DFAS website is structured to provide information and access to services tailored to its diverse customer base. Key functions include:

• Pay Services: Providing comprehensive information and resources related to military pay, civilian pay, retiree and annuitant pay (including Survivor Benefit Plan - SBP). This includes pay tables, explanations of entitlements, allowances, deductions, and tax information.
• myPay Portal Access: Serving as a gateway to the myPay system. myPay is the secure online portal allowing individual users (military, civilians, retirees, annuitants) to manage their pay accounts, view Leave and Earning Statements (LES), change tax withholdings, update bank information, and access tax documents (like W-2s and 1099-Rs).
• Travel Pay Processing: Offering guidance, forms, and information for submitting and checking the status of travel vouchers and claims for DoD personnel.
• Contractor and Vendor Pay: Providing resources for businesses working with the DoD, including invoice submission guidelines (e.g., Wide Area Workflow - WAWF/iRAPT), payment status inquiries, and relevant regulations.
• Debt Management: Offering information and resources for managing debts owed to or by the DoD.
• Customer Support: Providing contact information, FAQs, and help resources for various customer categories.

Distinctive Service: myPay

The most prominent and distinctive feature accessible via the DFAS website is the myPay online account management system. It offers a secure, self-service platform for DoD personnel and beneficiaries to manage critical pay and tax information 24/7, significantly reducing the need for paper forms or direct contact for routine transactions.

User Advantages

The DFAS website provides users with:

• Authoritative Information: It is the official source for DoD pay and finance policies, procedures, and forms.
• Centralized Access: It consolidates access to various financial services and information relevant to different DoD-affiliated groups.
• Self-Service Capabilities: Through myPay, users gain direct control over managing many aspects of their pay accounts and tax documentation securely and conveniently.

Social Media Presence

DFAS maintains an active presence on several social media platforms to disseminate information and updates:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefenseFinanceandAccountingService
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WePayDoD

Organizational Relationships

DFAS is an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. It provides centralized finance and accounting services for all branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force) and various supporting defense agencies.

Summary

The DFAS website (dfas.mil) is the official online hub for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. It provides essential information, resources, and access to financial services for millions of DoD military members, civilian employees, retirees, annuitants, and vendors. Its core purpose is to deliver accurate pay and financial data, offer self-service capabilities primarily through the myPay portal, and ensure fiscal accountability for the Department of Defense.