Recently married I just moved to TX with my husband. This is the first year we will file taxes together. Being male he says "the army does it for us" and leaves me to figure out the rest. I know that while he was in BCT last spring the army did file his taxes. A few people I have spoke with have said to do it on my own because they've gotten screwed over by the army filing it for them. Is this true?!?!?!?

SO basically where do i start? I'm stationed at Ft. Bliss if anyone is from there and knows specifics. Should i just go get Turbo Tax and do it myself?

Thanks! MEG

Do whatever makes you comfortable. Most tax sites are a no-brainer, they make it very easy for you.
I've been doing mine myself since 2000....I've done it married, divorced, married again...deployment...the whole ball of wax.

You can stay at home and enter the information through a professional tax service. It is true that doing it yourself will allow you to file your taxes, but there are so many new credits available that you might miss.
I work for a company where I contract with major companies to provide tax software, training, and support to their locations. We ask more than the normal questions of W-2 information, childcare, EIC information, mortgage, and moving expenses. I am a military wife who has had the unfortunate experience of relying on the military provided prepares to accurately submit my return. They had missed more than $1200 on my refund.
I will not charge you a dime if you want the help…I love what I do…and would be more than happy to complete them for you, or walk you through it. When I bring a company on board I always ask how many returns they can donate to our military members? 10? 20? 50? I encourage all of my locations to complete military taxes whenever possible for free. It is the least they/we can do for those that sacrifice so much. Drop me an email aprilmiller2002@hotmail.com when you’re ready, and I will make the time (smile).

VITA are trained by the IRS the same as those at H&R Block, Liberty, etc... The difference is they are also schooled in military pay/allowances. You can do it yourself if you have a easy year there is sites online through Military One source and IRS that offers free taxes for those in teh military online.

As per my experience, taking help of a good accountant or Nooutside linking allowed is much helpful as compared to using a software for doing your taxes. Consultants guide you in the right direction on how you can pay less taxes. I definitely think a human brain is always better than a software .

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mrsjvb,

The JAG or legal office on your post will probably provide mVITA (military Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) which is free and sponsored by the IRS. Some installations concentrate the services at a base tax center, some have tax volunteers (or voluntolds) who do the taxes within the unit, and some run a combination of the two. I'm a big fan of mVITA because they are specifically trained in tax issues related to military service and deal with it over and over. Someone on the outside might well be good at taxes, but if they don't focus on military specific issues, then they might well not be as current on programs for the military. Also, if you have to file state taxes, an off-post guy in Texas might not be too much help with them. Very few off-post tax preparers have to deal with the combination of state taxes from different states that sometimes comes up after a PCS.

I'm a big fan of mVITA, but still recommend that you at least pencil in what you think your return should look like beforehand. The volunteers you're working with only know as much about your situation as you tell them. If you're really comfortable with taxes, and have the time, you might consider volunteering yourself and getting trained by the IRS.

You also of course have your off-post brick & mortar tax preparers and online tax preparers as well. As mentioned, there are several free options for online filing. If there's a different software that you already prefer to use, check to see if you can get a discount on it through your bank, credit union, or insurance company.

Good luck!