Tax center opens Feb. 2 Published Jan. 21, 2010 By Staff Sgt. Bradley Hill 4th Fighter Wing Legal Office SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- As we are all winding down after the holidays, it can only mean one thing -- income tax season is right around the corner. Volunteers from the 4th Fighter Wing will once again provide free tax help and electronic filing to active-duty, retirees, dependents and Reserve members serving under Title 10 U.S.C. The tax center, located at 1245 Goodson St., Building 4201 (the old military personnel element customer service building), will open for business Feb. 2 to April 15, with walk-in filing service available Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Although the concept of federal or state income taxes can be intimidating to many people, volunteers from various sections of the Seymour Johnson community attended Internal Revenue Service training to become certified in tax preparation. Now that they are up to speed on the latest and greatest the IRS has to offer, the base community stands to benefit from the volunteers' expertise. They received training on how to address military-specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax benefits and the effect of the new Earned Income Tax Credit guidelines. In addition, volunteers can assist taxpayers who may have to file multiple state tax returns. In order to prepare your taxes, there are a few documents the tax preparers will need: · A copy of taxpayer's, spouse's and all dependents' Social Security cards · A form W-2 from each employer. Active duty members may obtain this at www.mypay.dfas.mil · Childcare expense information including the name, tax ID number and address of the childcare provider · Those who desire direct deposit of their return should bring a check or bank account and routing number · A copy of last year's tax return · Those with additional sources of income, such as rental property, sales of stocks or any other income source, need supporting documentation for the preparation of an accurate return In addition to the services offered at the base tax center, there are a number of online resources available to assist with filing a tax return. Free assistance for qualifying individuals is available at www.militaryonesource.com, www.irs.gov and www.hrblock.com. Those who choose to go to a commercial tax preparer should be aware of programs offering an "instant refund" or an "advance on your tax refund." These programs are expensive and sometimes take a large percentage of the tax refund in exchange for the service. Standard electronic filing and direct deposits allow tax refunds to be deposited in an account in a matter of days, so there is typically no reason to pay extra for "instant" cash. One way to decrease waiting time of a refund is to take advantage of the tax center's free electronic filing program. Bringing a routing and account number to the tax center when filing allows customers to choose any checking or savings account for their refund deposit. This tax season, the tax volunteers are ready and waiting to help with all the Seymour Johnson community's income tax questions and concerns. They are here to help take some of the tax season worries off of your mind. Please remember the Tax Center may close or limit hours intermittently during the tax season due to base exercises, volunteer availability, etc. Refer to the Wright Times or the base marquee for updates on the Tax Center's hours of operation. For additional assistance, call the Tax Center's helpline at 722-0371.