April 15 is the deadline and the countdown has begun, but do not panic. Numerous resources are available to help service members, veterans and eligible family members prepare and submit their tax returns.
Free tax assistance programs include:
MilTax through Military OneSource: Backed by the Department of Defense and designed exclusively for the military community, this e-filing software can be accessed at no charge by service members, eligible family members, survivors and recent veterans up to 365 days from their separation or retirement date. MilTax helps users complete their tax returns with specialized software that accounts for the complexities of military life, connect with a tax professional and file federal and up to three state returns.
VITA through Military One Source: Serving the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Space Force, National Guard and Reserves, this program is open to military members, including retirees. The Military OneSource MilTax website provides help in finding VITA locations where participants can self-file, sit down with a trained tax professional to complete their state and federal tax returns, or drop off their forms and return at a designated time to complete their free tax filing. The webpage also includes a helpful list of needed documents.
IRS Free File: With an adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less, veterans can file electronically with an IRS Free File software provider. If their income is higher, they can use Free File fillable forms.
IRS Direct File: Veterans living in participating states can use the free IRS Direct File service to e-file their federal tax return directly with the IRS.
Tax guidance for veterans also is provided on the VA News website, along with links to various IRS resources, information and publications.
Beware!
And, as a reminder, beware of fraudsters. The tax filing season has increasingly become a prime opportunity for scammers to exploit unsuspecting taxpayers through various communication methods.
Refrain from sharing personally identifiable information (PII), including VA.gov logins, VA NCC personal PINs, dates of birth, military entrance/discharge details, branches of service or SSNs.
Limit posting PII online, and don’t share residence addresses, dates of birth, workplace locations or kinship details.
Delete old social media accounts, limit online presence and minimize or remove available biographical information.
Never send bank information or payments to “online friends” or others. Scammers may threaten to destroy your files or data if you do not send payment or banking information. If you are a victim of ransomware, do not respond to these threats and report the incident immediately.
Protect against identity theft scams. All three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) offer veterans the ability to freeze their credit file for free. A credit freeze allows veterans to control access to credit reports, requires approvals for applications for credit cards, mortgages or loans, and helps protect against identity theft.
Share this information with your fellow service members. Assistance is readily available through many different resources that can help reduce tax-time stress.