Goodbye holiday season, hello tax season Published Dec. 11, 2013 55th Wing Legal Office OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- While you were out this holiday season searching for the perfect holiday gift, it's possible you may have forgotten about something you'll need after the holidays - your important tax documents. That's right, tax season is rapidly approaching, and since the holiday season is now behind us, why not search for those documents required to file your taxes completely and correctly? Once you've found them, your Offutt Tax Center is here to help you sort through your past year's finances and properly file your income tax return. Trained tax advisors at the base legal office can assist you in filling out your tax forms. Federal and State returns will be electronically filed for all active-duty and retired military personnel and their ID carrying family members, as well as Reserve and National Guard personnel on active-duty orders or members who have been released from active duty under a call or order to active duty for more than 30 days issued under mobilization authority. All of this tax assistance is absolutely free. Tax center service hours are from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Jan. 27 through April 15. Any 1040EZ filers can walk-in throughout the tax season from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For the 2014 tax filing season, we will be offering a drop off service for the EZ filers. Clients will fill out the intake sheet and have an initial interview so that all the documents needed to complete the return will be available to the preparer. Once the return is completed, within two days, the client will be called to come in and review the return and sign the return for e-filing. Appointments for all other filers will begin on Jan. 27. The tax center is located in the Offutt Law Center, 711 Nelson Drive. All 1040EZ, 1040A and 1040 forms the tax center assists in preparing will be accepted for electronic filing. Based on the complexity of the individual tax return, some returns may not be able to be filed at the tax center. If electronically filing a joint tax return, both the taxpayer and spouse must be present. Spouses of deployed personnel may file on behalf of their spouse with a signed Form 2848 (Internal Revenue Service Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative). This form is available at the tax center or online at www.irs.gov. To make an appointment for preparation of your tax forms, call the tax center at 294-3759. The tax center will begin taking calls for appointments Jan. 6. To help expedite appointments, customers are asked to visit http://www.offutt.af.mil/units/55thwinglawcenter/index.asp to print a list of what to bring to their tax appointment and the 2013 intake sheet.