Arnold AFB legal office offers tax help to military and dependents

  • Published
  • By Raquel March
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  The 2012 income tax season has arrived and the Arnold AFB legal office is offering free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for eligible personnel.

All service members on active duty, retirees and their dependents are eligible to receive these services. Unfortunately, this year the legal office is unable to provide tax services to other categories of filers, including DOD civilians due to manning.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-trained volunteers assist tax-filers in preparing, reviewing and electronically filing their income tax returns. Most customers receive their refund within two weeks.

Tax assistance appointments are available and continue until the yearly tax filing deadline of April 15. Eligible personnel may call the Arnold AFB legal office at 454-7814 to schedule an appointment.

VITA volunteers can provide tax preparation up to advanced and military certification levels which includes rental properties and Schedule A itemizations.

However, tax payers filing taxes that are beyond the VITA scope of training and certification, with complicated returns such as non-deductible Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), business with losses, and complicated capital gains and losses, will need assistance from a paid professional tax preparer.

Military members should access and print their W2 form from the MyPay website at https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx before arriving for an appointment.

For "do-it-yourself tax returns," Military One Source has a free federal tax preparation and e-filing program available to military members and their dependents through the website at www.militaryonesource.com.

The website allows tax filers to utilize a free online version of H&R Block At Home. The software is a simple question and answer program that is a quick and easy way to complete and e-file federal tax returns. The program also allows military members the option to e-file their state returns for a small fee.

To file federal and state taxes using the paper forms, go to www.irs.gov or the individual state tax websites to download forms.

The IRS also offers a free tax program called Free File, at www.irs.gov where individuals who make less than $57,000 can e-file for free.

For those who are not eligible for the military tax assistance programs, the IRS VITA program is offered at the Coffee County Lannom Memorial Library in Tullahoma and the Franklin County Library in Winchester by appointment only.

For a tax appointment at Tullahoma, call 409-3602 or 967-3706 to make an appointment in Winchester.

If you live outside the Tullahoma or Winchester area and wish to locate the nearest VITA site, call the IRS information VITA line at 1-800-829-1040.

To assist taxpayers with tax preparation at the Arnold AFB legal office call 454-7814.