A Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) helps a customer prepare his tax forms. The VITA tax preparation service is in full swing at the Regional Legal Service Office on the Washington Navy Yard.
Navy active duty Sailors, retirees and family members with military identification may have their federal and state income tax returns prepared for free at the Naval District Washington (NDW) Tax Center, which is located in building 200, suite 250, on the Washington Navy Yard.
Six active duty Sailors and several Reservists have been trained under the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, said Lt. Tracy L. Reynolds, tax officer at the Office of the Judge Advocate General.
‘‘The NDW Tax Center volunteers have been trained to handle a variety of tax issues, such as the earned income credit [EIC] and child tax credit,” said Reynolds. ‘‘Volunteers have also been trained on military specific tax issues like tax options for combat zone participants, military moving expenses and military travel.”
Reynolds said tax preparations take about an hour, depending on the complexity of taxes and associated issues.
Many people are opting to do their tax returns online rather than have someone do it for them, said Lt. Maryann M. Bridges, another OJAG tax officer. The Navy electronically filed 49,202 federal tax returns last year.
‘‘Electronic filing has a 99.5 percent accuracy rate and is fast,” said Bridges. ‘‘Electronic filers can expect to have their refund deposited as early as nine days after the return is transmitted to the IRS.”
Sailors, retirees and family members should bring their W2 form, any 1099 forms and 1098 forms, dependent Social Security cards, child care expense receipts and charitable deductions receipts when they come to the NDW tax center, she said.
If only one spouse attends the appointment, they must obtain a power of attorney from the spouse who cannot attend.
The following is what the volunteers are permitted to prepare:
Form 1040EZ (income tax refund for single and joint filers with no independents)
Form 1040A (individual income tax return) with schedules 1, 2, 3 and Earned Income Credit (EIC)
Form 1040 (individual income tax return) with schedules A, B, EIC and R
Form 1040-V (statement sent with check or money order for any balance due on the ‘‘Amount you owe” on line of the 2007 Form 1040)
Form 1040-ES (estimated tax for individuals)
Form 2441 (child and dependent care credit)
Form 8863 (education credits)
Form 8812 (additional child tax credit)
Forms with one rental property.
Volunteers may not prepare Schedule C (profit or loss from business), complicated and advanced Schedule D for capital gains and losses, Schedule E for rents and losses and Form SS-5 (request for Social Security number). They also don’t prepare tax returns after the April 15 deadline.
The NDW tax center is open for scheduled appointments from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays. Walk-in for Navy active duty servicemembers is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays. Scheduled appointments are also available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. To schedule an appointment, call (202) 685-5569.
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