Tax time can be a time of year full of stress and questions. Many people require help for getting their taxes done. Military families especially may find themselves in need of tax help. Is your spouse a resident of the state you currently live in, and does she therefore pay taxes to that state or to her former state of residency? How do you pay taxes when you’re deployed? When you find yourself faced with these questions and more, there are several places to turn for free tax help.
Military One Source
One Source is a valuable resource for military members and their families. They have a store of information about deployments, services and moves, among other things. You can also file your taxes through the Military One Source website through H&R Block At Home. Additionally, Military One Source also offers a free tax help hotline. They are available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST. Their number is 1-800-730-3802.
The Military One Source website also has several articles offering help for paying taxes under special circumstances, such as when a service member is deployed. They also offer advice for wise use of your income tax refund.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
VITA offers free tax help to qualifying tax payers. They assist low-income families, the elderly and military members and their families. The trained volunteers offer tax assistance to military personnel and their families at military installations. They can also be found at libraries, malls and community centers for those civilians and military members who live off-base. To find out your nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040.
To get tax help from VITA, you will need to bring proof of identification, social security numbers and birth dates of you and your dependents and spouse, tax forms, bank routing and deposit numbers and the total paid for daycare services. If you are filing a joint return, both you and your spouse will need to be present. Using VITA to file your taxes has many benefits, including the quicker rate for receiving refunds.
Additional resources may be found at IRS.gov. The Internal Revenue Service has a free pamphlet full of useful tax information for military members and their families. The booklet details what you can claim, what you can’t, information about dependents, mileage and how to pay your U.S. income taxes if you have been employed overseas by a foreign company.