Kirtland tax center seeks volunteers

  • Published
  • By Carl Grusnick
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. --  The holiday season is quickly approaching, and that means the tax season can't be too far behind. The good news is that the nice folks at the Kirtland Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center will soon open their doors to once again guide filers through the annual process required of us all.

In order to make this happen, the Center to seeking volunteers to assist Kirtland Airmen through the tax preparation process.

"The dynamics of the military assignments process means service members are in constant movement, and so is our pool of volunteers. As we do every year, we're asking the Kirtland community for volunteers, to ensure we have the necessary complement of preparers on hand to assist Kirtland Airmen with their tax returns," said Capt. Meghan Glines-Barney, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center legal office.

For those interested in volunteering, training will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. January 14-18 at the Distance Learning Center, in the 377th Air Base Wing Headquarters building.

Volunteers who cannot attend the training sessions can self-train by picking up the IRS training packet from the Legal Office.

For administrative assistants who will answer phone calls and schedule appointments, no training is required.

"We hope to continue receiving the positive volunteer response from the Kirtland community that has sustained the Center in the past," said Glines-Barney.

The Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, Feb. 5 to April 12, in the Consolidated Support Building.

During the first two weeks in February, tax preparation help is limited to E-4s and below who are not itemizing deductions.

In 2011, the center was staffed by 25 volunteers, filing 757 returns, with filers receiving $1.2 million in refunds and saving $200,000 in tax-preparation fees.

"The Center typically provides real value to our Airmen, and with the vital support of our dedicated volunteer staff, we will do so again this year," said Glines-Barney.

For more information on the Kirtland Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Center, call the Legal Office at 846-2934.