"We have generated $8 million in refunds for clients since Jan. 21," said Capt. Kezia B. Manese, the Judge Advocate officer in charge of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Main Tax Center. "We've exceeded what a smaller base will do all season."

The Tax Center staff is comprised of 34 soldiers, two GS civilians and a handful of civilian volunteer tax preparers, all of whom have been trained and certified by the Internal Revenue Service. The preparers work in shifts throughout the day so that 10 stations are operating at any given time.

Servicemembers on active duty and their dependents, as well as retirees, are eligible to utilize the service, but Reservists and National Guardsmen can only do so if they are on Title 10 status.

According to Manese, the Tax Center can handle the majority of residents on post, but do not do private business taxes (with the exception of in-home daycare) and can only handle the sale of a rental property within a limited scope.

"The IRS gets a list of every form you received and if the numbers don't jibe, that can lead to an audit," she said. "We need to see the actual documents when we're doing your return."

Those documents could include W-2s, 1099s and mortgage paperwork and if 2013 was the first year someone owned a rental property, it is better to call ahead and verify what paperwork you will need to bring. Additionally, all individuals getting a return done at the Tax Center must bring in a social security card or a copy of last year's taxes, but only if it was performed by another military tax center.

Clients are also urged to wait until they have received all of their outstanding documents before trying to file. While the Tax Center can do amended returns, that part of the service will not begin until after April 15.

A general power of attorney is not accepted when a spouse tries to file a joint return alone and Manese stressed that for a joint return, both individuals must come to the office to sign the return. Finally, it is recommended that clients not bring their children to the appointments.

Unfortunately, due to a network issue, the McChord Tax Center, located in Building 100, Ste. 3007 on Col. Joe Jackson Blvd., is not yet operational. For now, all returns are being prepared at the JBLM Lewis Main center ... where wait times can be close to four hours, according to Manese, especially with all of the units redeployed.

"We are a free service and otherwise you may have to pay upwards of $100, but sadly it can be a long wait time, especially on Saturdays," she explained. 

The majority of appointments are done on a walk-in basis, however there are a few exceptions where individuals are eligible for an appointment: any one with the rank of CW5, E-9 or O-5, as well as those that have a foreign source income, operators of an in-home daycare and owners of a rental property.

"We can also help servicemembers with tax planning and counsel them on things like withdrawing early from an IRA - we're not financial advisors, but we can explain the tax consequences," Manese added.

The JBLM Lewis Main Tax Center is located in Building T-6069 on 41st Division Drive. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; including all holidays during the tax season. The last client will be taken 30 minutes before closing time.

For additional information or to make an appointment, call 253.967.1040.