Tax center volunteers needed on base

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LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  The Little Rock Air Force Base Tax Center will open its doors on Feb. 1 for the 2009 tax season. During the 2008 tax season, the base's tax center completed 856 returns, saving servicemembers $157,136 in preparation fees and garnering more than $1.3 million in refunds.

All of these savings were made possible by volunteers who kept the tax center functioning. Tax center volunteers are trained through the Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, receiving valuable education on completion of federal and state tax returns. At the conclusion of the VITA training, volunteers qualify as certified tax preparers, a crucial skill for managing their own financial affairs. Whether answering phones or completing returns, volunteers are instrumental in meeting the tax filing needs for hundreds of active duty, reservists, dependents and retirees from the surrounding area.

The tax center is currently accepting volunteers for the upcoming 2009 tax season. For more information about the VITA program or to volunteer, call Capt. Ryan Turner or Staff Sgt. Jessica Hykes at the legal office at 987-7886.

(Courtesy of the 19th Airlift Wing Legal Office)