Base tax center provides quick returns, free filing Published Jan. 4, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Denise Spaulding 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 be providing free tax help, to include electronic filing, for active-duty, retired and reserve members and their families. Active-duty personnel should contact their squadron representative to schedule an appointment for help with their taxes. Although the concept of federal or state income taxes can be intimidating to most, more than 40 volunteers from all sections of the Seymour Johnson community voluntarily attended Internal Revenue Service training in December. Now that they are up to speed on the latest and greatest that the Internal Revenue Service has to offer, Team Seymour Airmen stand to benefit from their expertise. These Volunteer Income Tax Assistants, or VITAs, will be preparing federal income taxes, free of charge, for all ID card holders. Not only will they be available to assist you, the assistants will have critical IRS information readily available on topics such as the earned income credit, additional child credit, deductions, and other important financial aspects that may be on your mind this tax season. The tax center, located at 1535 Wright Brothers Ave., Bldg. 3636, will initially open Feb. 5. From Feb. 5 to April 16, the tax center will be offering walk-in filing service on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hours on Wednesday will be from noon to 6 p.m. There are a few substantial documents that the VITAs will need in order to prepare your taxes. Some of the most common are: - A copy of Social Security cards for taxpayer, spouse, and all dependents.- Form W-2 from each employer. Active-duty members may obtain this from www.mypay.dfas.mil. - Childcare expense information. You will need name, SSN, and address of the childcare provider. - A check (or account and routing numbers) if you desire direct deposit of your return. - A copy of last year's tax return. If you have any additional sources of income, such as rental property, sales of stocks, or any other income source, supporting documentation must be provided to prepare an accurate return. If you choose not to use the services of the VITA representatives and go to a commercial tax preparer, be aware of programs that offer an instant refund or an advance on your tax refund. These programs are expensive, sometimes taking a large percentage of your tax refund in exchange for the service. In our modern age of electronic filing and direct deposits, tax refunds can be deposited in your account in a matter of days, so there is typically little incentive to pay extra for the instant cash. One way to decrease the waiting time of your refund is to take advantage of the tax center's free electronic filing program. By simply bringing a routing number and account number to the tax center when you file, you can deposit your return into any checking or savings account, regardless of location. This tax season, the volunteer assistants stand ready and waiting to help you with all of your income tax questions and concerns. They may be able to take some of the worries of tax season off of your mind. For additional information, please call 722-5286.