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VITA office halfway through tax season

  • Published
  • By Lori Long
  • 72nd Air Base Wing Legal Office
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The Tinker Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Office program provides tax preparation and electronic filing services for active duty military members, military retirees, dependents of active duty and retirees, and Air Reserve Component members performing Active Guard/Reserve by appointment. Reservists and National Guard members must be on Title 10 orders (federal active duty).  This applies even if you had a return prepared by the VITA office last year.

The Tinker VITA program is limited to those who meet the following requirements:  must have had minimum essential health care coverage (such as any form of TRICARE) for the entire 2015 tax year, a gross income of $90,000 or less (this is higher than the gross income limit of $67,000 set by the IRS).

The tax office is unable to prepare a Schedule D for those individuals with stock sales and a Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ for those taxpayers with business income or with Forms 1099MISC. Additionally, taxpayers with home businesses (such as those who sell Pampered Chef, Tupperware, drove for Uber, etc.) and taxpayers who own rental property will need to seek help from other providers.

If a taxpayer has donated $500 or more in non-cash goods (such as clothing, a vehicle or furniture) to a charity, the IRS has deemed the return to be out of scope of VITA offices. This applies even if you had a return by the VITA office last year. Only Oklahoma state returns can be completed; however, the tax office can complete your federal return and then you can complete your state return at militaryonesource.mil.   

The tax office is open through April 15. It operates from 7:30 to 11 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays (excluding federal holidays).  Appointments can be scheduled by calling 739-7754. The office is located in Bldg. 1, Door 3, on the west side of the building. If manning allows, the office provides walk-in service for 1040-EZ filers; however, priority is given to filers with an appointment.

All taxpayers are required to bring the following items with them:  military ID, Social Security cards and birth dates of taxpayers and dependents, all W-2s, 1099Rs, investment income paperwork, POAs (if applicable), names, addresses and EIN or SSN of day care providers (if applicable), and last year's income tax return. Some taxpayers may need to bring additional items, depending on their tax situation. 

Due to changes in tax forms, taxpayers claiming educational expenses will need to bring the 1099-T with them to have their returns completed. Taxpayers claiming an education credit for undergraduate school should also bring proof of the amount paid for books.

Taxpayers wishing to directly deposit their refund should bring a voided check with them to their appointments. 

Noncustodial parents claiming a child as a dependent will need to bring a signed Form 8332 or a divorce decree giving them the exemption for that dependent for divorces prior to 2009. 

Taxpayers who own their own homes should also bring the 1098 form showing the amount of real estate tax and mortgage interest that they paid during 2015.