VITA tax services offered to NAFA personnel

Photo By Seaman Ryan Greene | Navy Counselor 1st Class Menh Luc, a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) center representative, helps Electronic Attack Squadron 141 Command Master Chief Kevin Manns file his taxes using the Naval Air Facility Atsugi VITA office. The office is open to all active duty military personnel and their families to file their yearly tax returns. The office is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and is by appointment only. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan G. Greene/Released)  

ATSUGI, AICHI, JAPAN

02.21.2014

Story by Seaman Ryan Greene 

Naval Air Facility Atsugi

By MC3 Ryan Greene

NAF ATSUGI, Japan - Tax season can be a stressful and confusing time. With credits, deductions, itemizing, returns and a federal tax code spanning more than 70,000pages, it can be a daunting task for anyone to navigate.

The Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is established every year to ensure service members and their dependents receive the support they need to file their taxes correctly and on time. This year, however, filers will be introduced to self-service tax preparations with volunteers ready to assist them.

“This year our office will be offering a totally self-service system,” said NAF Atsugi VITA Site Coordinator Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Chief Cedric Williams. “We will still have people here to help if a customer has any questions, but the Navy-wide models for these centers have shifted to be self-service.”

What self-service means for customers is during their appointment they will be given access to a computer with the necessary programs and will be allowed to file their returns as opposed to having a representative prepare the return for them. The benefit of the new self-service model is that it allows for fewer workers, with greater speeds for customers.

According to the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps official blog, Sailors using a Navy tax assistance center will save money. Commercial tax preparation companies can charge more than $170 for a typical electronically-filed return. There is no charge for VITA self-service tax preparation. Additionally, access to free and quick filing at Navy tax centers provides an important money-saving alternative to costly “refund anticipation loans” offered by many commercial tax-preparation companies.

Last year, Navy tax assistance centers aided in the filing of more than 37,000 federal and state tax returns saving service members and their families more than $2.2 million in tax preparation fees, and expediting more than $20 million in refunds. About half of last year’s customers were enlisted Sailors in pay grades E1-E6.

“For my junior guys, this is the place to go. It is free and there are people who are knowledgeable and interested in helping you to learn more about filing your own taxes,” said Williams. “For me, it’s important that younger people who may not know how to file their taxes get the right information the first time around. They need to know that doing this can be easy, and we hope that getting them to come in and see us is the first step in that process.”

According to Williams, setting up an appointment is as easy as calling the VITA center at 264-4015. At their appointment, customers will need to bring in their W-2, social security card, common access card, 1099 forms and any banking information on interest or capital gains and losses.

With a team of more than 30 volunteers, the NAF Atsugi tax office is staffed and ready to provide any support customers may need. The NAF Atsugi the VITA office will remain open through May for all Sailors and their dependents who may need help filing any late or back taxes.

• Date Taken: 02.21.2014
• Date Posted: 02.21.2014 02:33
• Story ID: 120939
• Location: ATSUGI, AICHI, JP