Edwards AFB News

Tax center to open soon

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jason Hernandez
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Edwards Tax Center is scheduled to open Feb. 6 to offer free income tax assistance to active-duty military members, reservists, guardsmen, dependents with valid identification cards and retirees.

The tax center, located in building 7211 next to the children's library and shoppette, will be open until April 11.

"It's an easy, convenient way to get your taxes done by volunteers who are trained to do this work," said Tracy Rozsa, tax center representative. "Last year, the tax center saved thousands of dollars in fees that our members would have been charged by filing their returns at a commercial tax center off base."

People must bring the necessary documents when going to file their taxes.
Bring a completed IRS Form 13614 that can be found at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13614.pdf, a list of all dependents with correct spelling and respective Social Security Numbers, Ms. Rozsa said. Also, bring all W-2s as well as statements from other income sources, interest statements, statements from the sale of stocks, bonds or mutual funds, bank account and routing number for direct deposit of refund, information relevant to the sale of home or the interest paid and a copy of the 2005 tax return.

Servicemembers may get a copy of their W-2 on the MyPay Web site, said Capt. Frank Yoon, tax center officer.

The tax center will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, by appointment only. Walk-ins will be seen on Fridays, for form 1040EZ returns only, from 9 a.m. to noon.

As an alternative, service members may prepare returns for free on www.militaryonesource.com.

Members can always take the option of using the services of a CPA or a professional tax preparation office, Ms. Rozsa said. The tax center is a great resource for those who are filing a very limited number of returns. Some issues may not be possible to serve at the tax center.

"We have volunteers who are capable of handling more complicated returns involving homes, rental properties, and investment income." Ms. Rozsa said. "However, if you have a number of complicated issues concerning your return, we recommend using a professional service."

The tax center has 17 volunteers this year, most of whom are active duty, Ms. Rozsa said.

"We anticipate serving nearly 1,500 customers in a two-month period," Ms. Rozsa said. "We ask that customers be flexible and patient. We will make every effort to adhere to our appointment schedule. If a volunteer gets called away due to mission requirements, cancellations or extended wait times may occur."