Center offers free tax services for Airmen, retirees, families

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alystria Maurer
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Base officials have opened a tax center in Suite 1604 of the Rushmore Center to help Airmen, retirees and their families prepare their 2013 tax forms free of charge.

Active-duty Airmen, retirees and their families can file their taxes with the help of the center's 31 volunteers who have been trained, tested and certified through programs provided by the Internal Revenue Service to assist with electronically filing taxes. Most importantly, the volunteers are trained specifically for assisting military members.

"The tax center is different than online tax services because our volunteers can take what you have this year and give you advice for a more accurate refund next year," said Senior Airman Precilla Nicholson, 28th Bomb Wing civil law paralegal and tax center project manager.

Nicholson said the important items that people must bring with them to scheduled appointments include a military ID card, Social Security cards and birth dates for themselves, their spouse if married, and dependents, as well as a voided check to verify account information.

"It was a really quick and easy process," said Capt. Jeffery Lorek, 28th BW chief of military justice and tax center customer. "The center has trained volunteers who helped ensure that I got my full refund. Filing taxes on base is beneficial because it reduces the errors that some people could make doing their taxes alone."

Customers should also have a copy of their 2012 tax return, 2013 W-2s, 1098s, 1099s, or anything that shows a source of income from the last year, and proof of foreign status if applying for an individual taxpayer ID number.

"If you have all documents like W-2s and 1098s, your appointment should only take roughly 30 minutes," Nicholson said.

The tax center is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon. The tax center will remain open until the April 15 filing deadline.

"The tax center provides a great service to the Airmen and families of Ellsworth," Lorek said. "I highly encourage Airmen to stop by and make an appointment."

For more information or to make an appointment, call the tax center at (605) 385-8296. To sign up to volunteer at the tax center next year, call the 28th BW Legal Office at (605) 385-2329.