Tax Services for those Who Have Served

admin • Jul 06, 2020

Tax preparation can be confusing for anyone, but is especially difficult for military members. Many difficult questions arise which are specific to military personnel and veterans. The military and the IRS are both aware of this fact, and provide tax assistance for current and former military members.  

This also holds true for military spouses. Taxes may have been fairly simple to file before marriage to someone in the military. But after marrying a military member, many issues you never even considered arise when preparing a tax return. These questions can be numerous and confusing, and can change with each state you move to. This is why there are tax preparation attorneys in Florida who you can call for help. 

Tax Help on Military Bases – VITA

The military is aware that the military life can make tax preparation difficult, and many military bases provide tax help on the base . You can contact the base where you or your spouse is stationed to see if they provide a help center. There, you can get most if not all your questions answered, as well as receive help preparing your tax return for filing and then filing it. Veterans can contact the closest base or the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to find out more about this tax assistance program.   

This help is provided through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program which his staffed by volunteers trained and certified by the IRS. Those volunteers sit with you and answer questions, help you prepare your tax return, and file it, if your income is under $56,000.  If you have questions that you cannot get answered, or your income is too high, it may be best to contact a tax preparation attorney in Florida for help.

Issues Specific to Military

It can be overwhelming to consider the issues like residency or domicile, combat pay, training pay, housing, rentals, multistate filings, OCONUS, filing extensions if deployed, how to file if deployed, what rights does the spouse have to file for the military member if deployed, what state is your income taxed in, and what state return(s) to file, to name a few. The IRS has a 40 page publication for armed forces to go over all the issues.  Subsequently, there are many to consider and you want to do it properly. You should consider contacting a tax preparation attorney in Florida to answer questions.  

Veterans

Once out of the military and considered a veteran, you will have new questions about issues like residency and when it may change depending on where you live. If retired, you will want to understand all the tax issues surrounding military retirement pay. There will also be questions about any military disability pay and pay from any new job. The VA partners with the IRS on different programs, including VITA mentioned above to help veterans with tax questions. 

In 2015, the IRS and the VA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help veterans with free tax preparation.  The IRS and the VA can also give veterans resources and tools to connect with organizations that provide financial assistance to veterans. These range from electronic resources like articles and podcasts, and provide a range of assistance to help with taxes and finances. 

It is important to note that several issues surrounding veteran’s disability ratings and awards can bring up new tax questions.  For example, veterans may be able to claim a federal tax refund if they received an increase in their military disability rating or when granted Combat-Related Special Compensation after receiving concurrent retirement and disability.  

Veterans should be aware of the Combat-Injured Fairness Act of 2016 . This law states that veterans with combat related injuries are not taxed on the one-time lump sum disability severance payment the Department of Defense pays them. Any veterans taxed for this after the act went into effect in 2017, should file an amended return to get a refund of the taxes collected on that amount. This sort of question and issue can be confusing, and it will be helpful to contact a tax preparation attorney in Florida.

Filing Software

There is also free software that military members can use to file taxes. Military OneSource caters specifically to military and provides free electronic tax preparation as well as electronic filing and with tax support. The software is called MilTax and can be used by all service members, which includes the National Guard and reserves, immediate family members, and eligible survivors. It can also be used by military members that are retried or honorably discharged until after 365 days have passed since their official retirement or separation date. The benefit to this program is that it is affiliated with VITA and is the software used when you visit a VITA site on base which comes with in person support.

The IRS also provides free tax filing through Free File for people, including military members and veterans who earn less than $69,000. It can offer free federal and state filing with the same type of software other providers sell for a fee. Free File also provides fillable forms for anyone to fill out and file electronically no matter their income.  

FreeTax USA also provides free federal tax filing for anyone including military members and veterans. It is set up to ask questions relevant to military tax issues, and is another resource for free tax filing. 

Anyone who is currently serving the military, previously served in the military, or a family member of a military member of veteran will surely have many questions not easily answered. It is important to provide the IRS with the proper returns which are correctly filled out and to file in the correct states. That is where a tax preparation attorney in Florida comes in. An attorney can make sure you do everything properly, so there are no problems with the IRS later.  

Get the Help of Experienced IRS Lawyers in Florida

The Law Office of Mary King P.L. offers complete IRS problem-solving services including all areas from tax debt settlement to planning the most efficient tax strategy for individuals and businesses. Below is a list of some of the services attorney Mary King provides individuals and businesses in Florida and throughout the United States.

Handling any tax problems on your own is generally a bad idea, and enlisting an experienced tax professional is a must. Mary E. King has spent her career concentrating on tax law and can help you with any of these issues and more. By working as the buffer between clients and the IRS, Attorney King stands up to the IRS for her clients and protects their rights while working hard to get them the best tax debt relief available.

That helps explain why she’s received an A+ rating from the Florida Better Business Bureau. If you have a tax problem-related issue – no matter how small or how large – setting up an initial consultation with Mary E. King, one of the experienced IRS lawyers in Florida, is the first step you should take towards relief.

Call our IRS lawyers in Florida today to schedule an initial consultation. With years of experience, the Law Office of Mary E. King can make sure that your tax issues are resolved in your favor. Fill out our online contact form , or call us at 941-906-7585.  Remember, at the Law Office of Mary E. King, we are focused on solving your tax issues for good.

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