Ellsworth tax center offers base community free assistance

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Thomas Karol
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  The Ellsworth Air Force Base tax center is officially open. The center is a free resource for base members, retirees and military families, and volunteers are standing by to help prepare and file taxes.

The tax center only accepts appointments – between 9-11 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. – and is open Monday through Thursday until April 11.

“The tax center is great because it helps our Airmen save money and get their taxes done right,” said Dennis Wier, the 28th Bomb Wing community support coordinator.

The volunteers at the tax center completed over 350 tax returns in early 2018. They also saved Airmen and their families over $70,000 in tax related fees.

“The tax center helped a lot of Airmen last year and we hope to help even more this year,” said Capt. Nicholas Hall, the 28th Bomb Wing assistant judge advocate. “I’m running the tax center this year and it has been a very interesting experience. I’ve learned a lot about how the process works and I’m excited to see how this year’s tax season turns out.”

Twenty-one volunteers have signed up to help the base community this year. They have received approximately 40 hours of training from the IRS on how to properly fill out taxes and are ready to help as many people as possible.

“Our volunteers are trained up and ready to go,” Wier said. “On top of completing tax returns, we can also give advice. This is a great opportunity, not just because it’s free but because Airmen can ask questions and get feedback on tax-related issues. These volunteers know the military lifestyle and can help Ellsworth Airmen to the best of their abilities.”

For more information on the tax center and how they can help, call 605-385-8298.