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Airman’s Roll Call: Tax Time

  • Published
WASHINGTON --  April 15 will be here before you know it, and all citizens are required to file their taxes by that date. As responsible citizens, all Airmen and their families must complete this important financial task.

The Air Force offers free tax advice, assistance, preparation and electronic filing through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Base legal offices team up with the IRS and volunteers from the military community to provide this service. Volunteers prepare forms, including child and education credits, but if your income includes profitability or investments outside your military entitlements, you may be ineligible to use the program.

The steps to prepare for an appointment can vary, so call for specifics on what forms and documents to take. Some paperwork to bring to a tax appointment include: last year's tax returns, Social Security numbers for the whole family, documentation of income and receipts for business and education expenses are just some of the necessary paperwork. Other important information to know is listed below.

- Special pay is excluded from taxable income, as are basic allowance for housing and basic allowance for subsistence. Military members stationed abroad may also get a two-month extension if they expect a refund; however, any taxes paid after April 15 will accrue interest from the original due date. Servicemembers deployed to combat zones before the due date will have 180 days after their return to file. These guidelines are detailed in IRS publication 54, tax guide for U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad.

- For next year, make sure you save receipts for charitable contributions. Receipts are especially important for military members or if you plan to itemize deductions.

- And if you married within the last year and changed your name, make sure the IRS has coordinated the changes to match your Social Security number. With the right amount of preparation and by using the resources available, filing taxes should be a smooth process.

- Military personnel can also get help online with their taxes. The IRS provides a free file service on its Web site, which lists several tax preparation services, many of which provide free service to military members. The Web Site Military OneSource also provides free tax assistance to military members.