Tax center offers free tax assistance Published Feb. 3, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Dennis L. Sloan Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Tax Centers opened for business here Feb. 1. The tax center staff provide free tax assistance to all qualifying active-duty servicemembers, retirees and military dependents. Attorneys and volunteers will provide assistance filing current and prior-year individual income tax returns throughout the year, according to Air Force Instruction 51-504 1.4.14."Taxes." "One of our jobs as Air Force judge advocates is to provide joint base community members with legal assistance," said Air Force Capt. Brian Peterson, a native of Lynbrook, N.Y., and the 87th Air Base Wing Legal Office chief of preventative law and tax center site coordinator. "One of the ways we do that is through the JB MDL Tax Center." The tax center currently has more than 10 volunteers and is looking for more. "Volunteering to prepare taxes is an opportunity to provide a valuable service to our military community for free," said Master Sgt. Lashondria Barber, veteran tax center volunteer. "Preparing taxes requires a willingness to learn and understand tax law mixed with patience. The tax center welcomes volunteers who possess these attributes." Volunteers must be certified through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program to assist customers with tax assistance. The VITA program prepares volunteers to address military-specific tax issues. "Please keep in mind that the VITA trained volunteers are not tax experts," said Peterson. "Complex returns should be drafted by tax professionals, the fee for which is deductible in the following year." The McGuire and Dix Tax Center is located at 2907 Tuskegee Airmen Ave. and is open for appointments Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until mid-April. Additionally, walk-in appointments are available Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Lakehurst Tax Center is located at 150 Berry Rd. and is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To have tax returns prepared on a walk-in basis, community members must: · File as single or married filing jointly; · Be under 65 years of age and not blind at the end of 2011, unless the person is only taking the standard deduction; · Not claim dependents; · Not receive any advanced Earned Income Credit payments; · Only have wages, salary, tips, taxable scholarships or fellowship grants, unemployment compensation or Alaska permanent fund dividends; · Not have taxable interest exceeding $1,500; · Not claim any adjustments to income; · Only claim EIC. "This is an economic and time-saving convenience for our community," said Army Staff Sgt. Brian Darling, New Jersey National Guard Office of Staff Judge Advocate Joint Force Headquarters paralegal specialist and native of Toms River, N.J. Joint base community members should receive their tax returns in approximately two to three weeks after filing their taxes here. Community members must bring the following paperwork to file their 2011 tax return: · A filled out Form 13614-C, "Intake/Interview Quality Review Sheet," one day prior to a scheduled appointment(it may be dropped off or emailed to JBMDLTaxCenter@gmail.com) · This year's tax package documents · Social Security cards for themselves, spouses and children · All W-2's · Form 1099 · Routing and accounting numbers · A copy of last year's tax return. Clients can find a digital copy of Form 13614-C at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/13614-c.pdf. Servicemembers and civilians within the joint base community interested in VITA training, becoming a volunteer tax assistant or setting up an appointment should call the JB MDL Tax Centers at (609) 754-8106.