Preparing, Filing and Refunds

This year, take command of your taxes. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, provided through the Armed Forces Tax Council, provides coordinators for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Service members who move due to a permanent-change-of-station move may be eligible to deduct some of their unreimbursed moving expenses from their federal income tax returns. Most moving costs are covered by military allowances, so you’ll want to save your receipts and log your expenses to calculate any possible deduction at the end of the tax year.

MilTax is a suite of free tax services for the military from the Department of Defense, including easy-to-use tax preparation and e-filing software, personalized support from tax consultants, and current information about filing taxes in the military.

Deployed service members are expected to file their taxes. Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Service realizes service members and their families face unique circumstances and offers tools — and some special extensions — to make tax filing easier.

If you can’t file your federal tax return by the April 15 – April 17, 2017 – deadline, then consider filing for an extension. Doing so is more common than you may think.