Tax season is here once again, and military personnel should review filing and tax form completion procedures which may make the process easier and ensure a maximum return for the year.

There are many tools available for service members and their families to ease the process of filing their income taxes.

Almost every military installation offers a tax center for military, retired military and family members. The IRS provides a "Free File" service on its web site, which lists several tax preparation services, many of which provide free service to military members. The Military OneSource web site also provides free tax assistance to service members along with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Electronic Filing (VITA/ELF) program, which provides free tax-filing assistance to active duty service members and their dependents, retirees and their dependents with adjusted gross incomes of less than $57,000.

In the previous tax seasons, many service members stationed in Singapore filed taxes with online websites; however, there are services standing by to help those who may need a little extra help filing this year.

"Here in Singapore there can be some extra tax write offs that you don't normally encounter in the states," said Tina Jones, a registered tax preparer from the Fleet and Family Service Office. "VITA knows how to file taxes if you have a domestic helper, or if you live out in town, or any other minor expenses you might not be used to filing if you are newer to the region."

When service members are preparing to file taxes, they should make sure they have any W-2 forms from the military and any additional jobs they've had in the past year, along with Social Security cards for themselves and their dependents.

For active-duty military members, W-2's are available for download/printing as of Jan. 24 and can be accessed through MyPay.

"Tax season can be overwhelming for some, whether it's their first time filing or they've been filing for most of their lives," said Jones. "The programs are there to help take the pressure off. If they're not simple enough to do from home, there's always help available."

Taxes will be available to file up until the middle of April, however it's recommended for service members to complete their tax returns early in case any complications appear in the filing process. For assistance, reach out to your local legal or tax office with all forms necessary for proper filing.

HELPFUL TAX FILING RESOURCES:
* MyPay: https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx
* Military OneSource: http://www.militaryonesource.mil/
* Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Electronic Filing (VITA/ELF) Program: https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Free-Tax-Return-Preparation-for-You-by-Volunteers

For more news from Commander, Task Force 73, visit www.navy.mil/.