Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 38-922 – Transfer or redemption of service credits

A. Service credits qualified in accordance with section 38-730 or 38-921 may be transferred or redeemed in accordance with this section.
B. In the case of a member whose contributions remain on deposit with the prior retirement system or plan, the following shall be calculated:
1. 1. The prior system or plan shall calculate the amount equal to the actuarial present value of a member's projected benefits to the extent funded on a market value basis as of the most recent actuarial valuation under the prior system or plan as calculated by that system's or plan's actuary using the same actuarial method and assumptions used in calculating that system's or plan's funding requirements based on the transferring member's service credits at the time of transfer. If a system's or plan's market value is greater than one hundred per cent, the system or plan shall use a one hundred per cent market value.
2. 2. The system or plan to which the member is transferring shall calculate the increase in the actuarial present value of the projected benefits provided as a result of the transfer of the member's service credits. This calculation shall be performed by that system's or plan's actuary using the same actuarial method and assumptions used in calculating that system's or plan's funding requirements based on the transferring member's service credits at the time of transfer.
C. In the event a member decides to transfer:
1. 1. If the amount calculated in subsection B, paragraph 2 is greater than the amount calculated in subsection B, paragraph 1:
  1. (a) The prior system or plan shall transfer to the present system or plan the greater of the amount calculated in subsection B, paragraph 1 or the member's accumulated contribution account balance.
  2. (b) If the amount transferred is less than the amount calculated under subsection B, paragraph 2, the transferring member shall elect either to pay the difference or to accept a reduced transfer of service credits. If the member elects to pay the difference, the amount paid shall be added to the member's accumulated contribution account balance. If the member elects to accept a reduced transfer of service credits, the amount of service credits transferred shall be equal to the amount of service credits used in making the calculation under subsection B, paragraph 1 multiplied by the ratio of the amount calculated under subsection B, paragraph 1 to the amount calculated under subsection B, paragraph 2.
2. 2. If the amount calculated in subsection B, paragraph 2 is less than or equal to the amount calculated in subsection B, paragraph 1, the prior system or plan shall transfer to the present system or plan the greater of the amount calculated in subsection B, paragraph 2 or the member's accumulated contribution account balance.
D. In the case of an applicant who has withdrawn the applicant's member contributions from another prior system or plan of this state, the applicant shall pay into the new system or plan to which the applicant is transferring an amount equal to the increase in the actuarial present value of the projected benefits provided by the service credits being redeemed and this amount shall be included in the member's current accumulated contribution account balance. This calculation shall be performed by the actuary of the system or plan to which the service credits are being transferred using the same actuarial method and assumptions used in calculating that system's or plan's funding requirements.
E. Service credits shall not be applied to the applicant's account until such time as complete payment is made to the retirement system or plan to which the applicant is transferring. On completion of the transfer provided for in this article, the member's rights in the retirement system or plan from which the member is transferring are extinguished.
F. A member electing to transfer to or redeem service with the public safety personnel retirement system, the elected officials' retirement plan or the corrections officer retirement plan pursuant to this section may pay for the service being transferred or redeemed in the form of a lump sum payment to the system or plan, a trustee-to-trustee transfer or a direct rollover of an eligible distribution from a plan described in section 402(c)(8)(B)(iii), (iv), (v) or (vi) of the internal revenue code or a rollover of an eligible distribution from an individual retirement account or annuity described in section 408(a) or (b) of the internal revenue code.