The official Navy Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is providing free tax preparation for active-duty service members, retirees and their families in San Diego.
This program is unique because it’s the only tax preparation service supported by the Navy and partnered with the IRS.
"We saved people $1.8 million last year in preparation fees," said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class (SW) Jenn Reichard, Naval Base San Diego NLSO Tax Center leading petty officer. "This is a service that Sailors would have to pay hundreds of dollars for out in town."
Anyone using the service this year is required to bring a social security card – or dependent ID with the full social security number on it – for every person listed on the tax return.
"We are requiring social security cards this year because we’re trying to limit the number of rejections we receive," Reichard said. "A lot of our kickbacks last year were a result of mismatched names and social security numbers. Having the card helps eliminate mistakes."
Other required items include: wage, earning and pension statements from all employers (W-2 and 1099-R); interest and dividend statements (1099-INT and 1099-DIV); a copy of 2008 federal and state returns; bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit; and any other relevant information (day care expenses, mortgage statements, student loan interest, and alimony payments).
Additionally, anyone filing a joint tax return must bring their spouse to sign the required forms or have a power of attorney for filing taxes from their spouse.
The locations and hours are:
- Naval Base San Diego (NLSO Tax Center, Bldg. 56); Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday: 8 a.m. to noon
- Naval Base Coronado (NLSO Tax Office, Bldg. 11, 2nd deck, room 236); Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. (appointments from noon to 4 p.m.)
For more information, contact the NBSD VITA Center at (619) 556-6848 or NBC VITA Center at (619) 545-2752.
