Would a state retirement plan be a government pension or other qualified pension?

Generally speaking, if the job source of the retirement plan was with a government agency or the public school system, these are government pensions.  (They are qualified pensions also, but states tend to treat government pensions more tax-advantaged than other pensions).  If the pension comes from police or firefighters, those are considered from the public safety sector.  TurboTax asks these specific questions so that your pension can get the correct state tax treatment.  If you have additional questions, please comment your state and the exact nature of your pension.