Sheppard Tax Center Opens

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jeremy Price
  • 82nd Training Wing Judge Advocate
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Sheppard Tax Center will open its doors again on Jan. 20 and will remain open throughout the tax season until April 15. The Tax Center, located in Bldg. 315, is open to active-duty military and their dependents, retirees and their dependents, civil service employees and guard and reserve members on Title 10 status.

However, the base Tax Center is not the only place active duty military members can get their taxes done for free. Militaryonesource.com offers free online tax software, H&R Block At Home Basic, for preparing and filing tax returns. Before using this service, check to ensure that the free At Home Basic version, for simple tax returns, meets your needs and only sign on through Militaryonesource.com.

Sheppard's center is run by a group of dedicated military and civilian Internal Revenue Service trained volunteers. Most of these volunteers are scattered across the squadrons of the base and serve as unit tax advisors. Military members are strongly encouraged to seek assistance from their UTAs before going to the Tax Center.

The Tax Center's hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for everyone entitled to assistance. While students and instructors can certainly come during those hours, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays have been reserved for students and instructors only. Assistance is on a first-come, first-served basis. However, feel free to call ahead to check the number of people currently waiting, as our waiting room space is limited.

IRS trained volunteers will prepare the most common federal and state tax forms at no charge. These forms include all 1040 federal returns, state returns, Child and Dependent Care Credit forms, Education Credit forms, and Additional Child Tax Credit forms.

In addition, all federal forms and most state forms can be "e-filed" and refunds can often be deposited straight into your bank account, decreasing the time you have to wait to use your refund. Finally, if after you have filed your returns you realize something needs to be changed, our office can also file amendments to returns when necessary.

Before visiting with a UTA or the Tax Center, clients should be sure to have complete supporting documentation for their tax return. The following documents are necessary to process the return:

- W2 (wage and tax statement from ALL employers), Form 1099 for interest, dividends and miscellaneous income.
- Social Security cards for all family members, including children.
- A child care provider's name address and tax identification number and payment receipts for those planning to claim the child and dependent care credit.
- Information for deductions and/or credits, such as an education credit.
- Your bank account routing and account number for a direct deposit refund.
- A copy of last year's tax return.

If you have questions, Tax Center personnel can be reached at 676-2446 starting Jan. 20.