MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Marines and family members on Marine Corps Installations East Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune may begin filing their 2016 tax returns for free at the base tax center in building 50 on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Jan. 23.
Filers will need their wage and tax statement also known as form W-2 from every place they were employed during 2016, bank account information to electronically file tax returns and a social security card or internal transaction numbers for all dependents claimed. The tax center is open for walk-ins Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with appointments being scheduled on Wednesdays.
"We train just as hard as people out in town and sometimes we train even more," said James Stubbs, director of the tax center. "If we do something wrong here we can fix it, but if there was a mistake somewhere else people would have to wait until April for it to be fixed."
If available, tax filers should bring these forms: disability income, interest from checking or saving accounts, bounds, CD or brokerage account, state tax refund if itemized, alimony income, pension or IRA distribution 1099-R, unemployment income 1099-G, other income 1098-T, home mortgage interest 1098, real estate tax, personal property tax, charitable contributions, estimated tax payments, dividend information and all rental property information if claiming rental income with the maximum being three properties.
"The Marines we have, come here to the tax center and go through the IRS volunteer income tax assistance process to help other Marines and their families file their taxes," said Gunnery Sgt. Alex Torres, the Staff Noncommissioned Officer in Charge at the tax center. "This is a good service for the service members that’s free and will be just as accurate as anywhere else."
Marines who are deployed have 180 days from the moment they come off of their deployment to file their taxes, or their spouse can file with proper power of attorney. In recent years the use of the service has been in a decline as service members look to other options for filing their taxes. Any units or individuals looking to make appointments with the base tax center may contact Torres at 910-451-5287.
"We are one team, one fight," said Stubbs. "Everywhere taxes are done follows the same rules; we are all trained the same, and we all begin Jan. 23, so why not just file them here for free?"