RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
With tax filing season approaching, the Randolph Air Force Base Tax Center needs volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to assist Team Randolph members with 2009 income tax preparation.
"No skills are needed to be a volunteer," said LaMarr Queen, 12th Flying Training Wing magistrate court administrator and Randolph Tax Program coordinator. "We'll provide all the training you will need. We can also use general assistance in receptionist duties, filing and making copies. Regardless of the amount of time you can volunteer, or the extent of your expertise, we can most certainly use your help."
Mr. Queen explained VITA is run in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and is supervised by specialists from the base legal office. First Lt. Eric Hart, base legal judge advocate, will be the Randolph Tax Program attorney.
Last year, about 36 VITA volunteers saved 1,524 Team Randolph members more than $326,000 in preparation fees. They also secured more than $2.9 million in tax refunds, Mr. Queen said.
"Last year's numbers were the best the Randolph Tax Center has had in many years. The VITA tax preparers were nothing less than phenomenal It was an honor for me to work with each of them during the tax filing season. Their dedication, hard work and commitment to the Randolph community were an inspiration to me."
Volunteers can be active duty, civilian employees, retired members, or their family members. This year's free IRS training for VITA volunteers will be held by the IRS from Dec. 14-18 in Bldg. 663.
Mr. Queen said during the training, VITA volunteers will learn to use the TaxWise software program, how to read different IRS forms and how to fill out a form from start to finish.
"They'll be exposed to different client situations," Mr. Queen added. "We'll have good training books that'll guide you through them. They look overwhelming at first glance but they're not bad at all."
VITA volunteers will complete their training by preparing mock basic, intermediate, military-related and advanced tax returns on-line and answer test questions.
No volunteer under the Randolph Tax Center has ever failed training, Mr. Queen added.
"It sounds daunting, but it's really not," Mr. Queen explained. "During tax season, if a volunteer finds a form to be too complicated, he or she can turn it over to a more experienced volunteer."
One experienced volunteer, Ralph Himelrick, Air Force Manpower Agency chief of special studies, said he helped several retirees living in Universal City by preparing their tax forms from information obtained over the phone when they couldn't physically get to the tax center.
One senior man couldn't get to the Social Security office in Seguin to get copies of his income statements. So Mr. Himelrick called the office and got the information with the man's permission. In doing so, he saved the man a major penalty by filing the return on time.
That was rewarding, Mr. Himelrick said.
"The smile you get, the thank-you, the hand shake and the pat on the back for helping the seniors out makes it all worthwhile," Mr. Himelrick said.
Mr. Queen said his VITA volunteers will begin work during the first week of February in four-hour morning or afternoon shifts. During the tax filing season, Randolph unit volunteers won't have to come to the tax center to do someone's taxes. They will be able to set their own schedules for clients and operate from any Internet-connected computer in their duty sections. However, they are encouraged to assist clients at the tax center which will be located in Bldg. 100, the Taj Mahal.
Because this work may be done mostly during duty hours, unit commanders must give interested individuals their permission before they apply. Other volunteers not working on Randolph will assist only in the tax center.
To volunteer for the VITA program, call Mr. Queen at the base legal office at 652-6781, or e-mail him at jonnie.queen@randolph.af.mil.