FORT KNOX, Ky. — Word has come out from the Judge Advocate General’s office that as of Sept. 30 Legal Assistance offices across the Army have permanently closed their tax center doors.
In a memorandum, dated Oct. 5 and signed by Lt. Gen. Stuart Risch, the Judge Advocate General, several new mission responsibilities added to legal assistance attorneys across the Army make it difficult to continue to offer such services. Those duties include counseling of domestic violence victims, representation of tenants in privatized housing disputes and advocating for the parents of special needs children.
“Based on these increased demands on our services, and a concomitant reduction in funding,” writes Risch, “Tax Centers can no longer be operated by Army Legal Assistance Offices.”
A move in this direction began four years ago when the Army JAG Corps left the decision of whether to host tax centers up to installation SJAs. Brian Evans, chief of the Legal Assistance Division at the Fort Knox Staff Judge Advocate’s office, said Fort Knox elected to continue the service for its clients.
“It’s an important service. We recognized that and were proud to be able to provide it,” said Evans. “The different commanding generals and Garrison commanders always placed a priority on providing that service, also.
“Our Staff Judge Advocates have worked diligently to make sure we had the resources to provide that service, even when we were given the option to sunset our tax program back in 2018.”
A major part of how they were able to fund the program for the past four years came from an agreement among several of the tenant units on the installation to provide active-duty personnel as volunteer tax preparers.
“They worked with us on getting the Soldiers trained up, certified as volunteer tax assistance preparers through the [Internal Revenue Service],” said Evans. “It was a great service to the community, and I’m sorry to see it end.”
There are a couple of exceptions where they will extend service.
“If we’re in the middle of an ongoing issue with a taxpayer return, we can continue to assist them with that return,” said Evans.
Another exception, according to Evans, is service to Gold Star families.
“We will continue to provide tax services for surviving dependent Family Members of military members who died on active duty,” said Evans. “We’re just going to provide that service as part of our regular legal assistance program in our Legal Assistance office rather than through our Tax Center.”
The memo also offers some alternative recommendations for tax filers in 2023. The IRS provides two programs for qualified clients: Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE), and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA.
“With VITA, the IRS will provide the software. They will provide the training on federal tax preparation,” said Evans. “We will augment that with state-specific training and things specific to the military taxes. Our tax center operated as a VITA program location before, as did all the Army tax centers.”
The TCE program offers assistance to those who are 60 years of age and older. The VITA centers offer assistance to those who generally make $58,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
“The IRS will continue to offer VITA Program support to Service Members and dependents and is seeking to continue the partnership with a new Directorate within the Army,” according to the memo. “We look forward to supporting this future transition to ensure that our Soldiers and Families have access to competent, free tax preparation assistance should they need it.”
As of now, no directorate has yet been identified.
Evans said as of now there is not a list of VITA and TCE sites that will be operating in the area in 2023, but that is expected to change.
“The only area site listed on the IRS website as currently operational is located at 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Suite 201 in Louisville,” said Evans. “We will be updating that information as it becomes available and making it available to the public.”
The Louisville office’s operating hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of November. For more information, call 502-574-5687.
Another service for Military Members, their Spouses and retirees who have left the military up to 365 days prior is Military One Source. It offers eligible individuals free tax preparation and filing software and the opportunity to consult with tax professionals.
The IRS has a free file service online where retirees can receive guided tax preparation with federal — and some state — tax returns. The taxpayer must have an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less. The VITA sites will also be available to assist retirees, said Evans.
While the tax center will no longer open its doors, Evans said Legal Assistance will remain in place.
“For individuals who have issues related to tax law or controversies with tax authorities, or they have questions about other types of taxes like property taxes, or vehicle taxes,” said Evans, “we’re still going to be available to assist them.”
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Editor’s Note: For more information or to schedule an appointment with Fort Knox Legal Assistance, call 502-624-2771.
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