Maj. C. Jack Marks (left), the officer-in-charge of the Fort Gordon Tax Center; Lt. Col. John A. Hamner II, the Staff Judge Advocate; and Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy McKinney, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the tax center, assist Col. Samuel G. A...
FORT GORDON, Ga. (Jan. 29, 2016) - The Fort Gordon Tax Center opened its doors Wednesday at the Courtyard, Building 36709, following a formal ribbon cutting ceremony.
Maj. C. Jack Marks, the tax center officer in charge, welcomed everyone to the opening and introduced Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy McKinney, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the center.
"The tax detail has worked extremely hard to prepare for this year's tax season, especially given the recent changes in tax law," Marks said. "I know the tax preparers are ready to assist you with your tax needs and I look forward to a successful tax season."
Marks introduced the guest speaker, Col. Samuel G. Anderson, the garrison commander, who shared last year's success of the center, now on its 11th year of operation.
"We had a phenomenal filing season last year," Anderson said. "Soldiers combined with volunteers from the civilian community filed over 3,600 federal returns and state returns. This resulted in over $4.7 million in refunds and over $770,000 in estimated tax preparations fees that the commercial tax preparation services would have charged the Fort Gordon community. This year, we look forward to providing this valuable service to our community once again.
"In the spirit of the Fort Gordon Army Family Covenant, the Installation Management Command and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence are committed to serving active duty Soldiers and families every day," he added. "One of the tenets of the family covenant is to provide Fort Gordon families a quality of life commensurate with their service. The tax center is only one of the ways we honor this commitment. Once again, the tax center will be open five days a week in order to accommodate your demanding schedule and workloads."
The commander explained, "Each tax preparer has been certified by the Internal Revenue Service. It assures everyone that they will provide a service that is absolutely honest, competent, and perhaps best of all, free.
"You can rest assured that we will serve you with the utmost integrity, quality and professionalism that has become the standard you have come to expect and receive from Fort Gordon," Anderson added.
"The tax center also reaches out to those beyond the gates of Fort Gordon. Not only do we offer retirees in the area our free tax service, we also seek to educate retirees and our local veterans about important concepts. These efforts no doubt contribute to the financial welfare of these dedicated citizens and represents our continued commitment to those who have selflessly served our nation."
Anderson pointed out the tireless effort of the Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and civilian volunteers who worked tirelessly over the past weeks studying everything from customer service to interviewing techniques to recent changes in tax laws, which allows them to prepare federal and state returns.
Following the ribbon cutting, Marks invited everyone to tour the facility and ask questions.
The Fort Gordon Tax Center will be open on a walk-in basis Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A secure play area for children has been set up to allow parents an opportunity to have their taxes prepared with few disturbances, and a waiting room is also available with free coffee for clients.
Marks said there would be a limited number of appointments for individuals traveling a considerable distance to get their taxes prepared and for senior leadership on post.
"All Advanced Individual Training Soldiers will be given priority due to their demanding training scheduled," Marks explained. "We will be filing most tax returns electronically."
Military members, retirees and their dependents should bring the following to assist the tax preparers: proper identification of the taxpayer and his/ her dependents; W-2s, Tax Form 1099s, and all other statements of income; Power of Attorney, if a military spouse is filing jointly; Social Security cards for dependents and the taxpayer; documentation for deductible expenses, including receipts for charity contributions made in 2015; voided check for direct deposit; and a copy of last year's federal and state tax returns.
Military members are reminded to bring a copy of the 2015 IRS Form 1095- C (Employer Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage), which is now available on myPay at https://mypay. dfas.mil.
For more information, call the Fort Gordon Tax Center at (706) 787-1040.
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