Military members have options during tax season

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Padgett
  • USAFE Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) --  With the tax season ready to begin, many may be either dreading the forms they will have to fill out or looking forward the return they will get on their money. In either case, taxpayers should be aware of a few things.

The use of the Internet has made it easier and faster for online programs to process tax returns for individuals, but it also offers opportunities for hackers to get personal information.

Some individuals in the U.S. have already reported receiving e-mails where the individual claims to be from the IRS and needs important missing information to finish filing their claim. This kind of activity is called ‘phishing,’ where a computer user will send out as many e-mails as he can and see if any takes the bait.

The IRS has stated on its Web site that it does not use e-mail to contact individuals concerning taxes.

However; there are options available to military members.

Many bases offer free tax assistance through the base legal office.

Also, Militaryonesource.com is currently offering a free version of their TurboTax 2005 software for military members. However, the program is not considered for official use and should be run on home computers, not government computers.

Military OneSource is available to all Active Duty, Air National Guard and Reserve Airmen (regardless of activation status), and their immediate family members, as well as deployed Department of Defense civilians and their families. The TurboTax benefit became available 16 January and will remain throughout the tax season.

The TurboTax online program allows filers to complete their taxes and double-checks for errors and audit risks, and identifies deductions for specific tax returns. After taxes have been e-filed, filers will receive an IRS confirmation of receipt from TurboTax.

While the version on the Military OneSource Web site is the only free version, those who have already purchased TurboTax may be eligible for a refund.

“Those eligible for this benefit who have already purchased TurboTax Deluxe or 1040EZ online can receive a refund by visiting www.support.turbotax.com,” said Jesse Sheppard, Military OneSource Program manager. “Once there, the participant can choose one of the ‘contact us’ options to request their refund.”

For more information on paying taxes, individuals should contact their base legal office.