The base tax center, located in building 455 across from the Family Housing Office and next to the Kulia Youth Center, is scheduled to open Jan. 27 and will remain open until April 25, 2014, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clark Edwards, a tax preparer who has been with the base tax center for nearly 14 years, said the center has been operating since approximately 1990.

All active duty service members, dependents, active reservists and retirees are eligible to have their taxes done at the center. Spouses need to bring a power of attorney document if their spouse will not be present when filing.

You must have all W-2’s, 1099’s, 1098’s, Social Security cards, military identification and last year’s tax returns. The base tax center prepares taxes free of charge.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Dean McRae, a volunteer tax preparer with the base tax center and native of Belfield, N.D., said it’s not necessary to bring last year’s tax return, but recommended it, especially for more complex returns like ones that involve capital gain or loss to roll over credits.

Approximately 11 volunteer tax preparers are active duty service members who trained at Schofield Barracks and here on Marine Corps Base Hawaii for tax preparation.

McRae said they have been training since November 2013 for this year’s tax season.

“It’s beneficial to have a service member prepare taxes for another service member because we wear the same boots,” McRae said. “We have deployments and military experience in common, and (as opposed to civilian tax preparers) we understand military life. The overall training was beneficial, and it was a good experience for building a background in tax knowledge.”

McRae said there are important details involving service members who are deployed or who are hospitalized after a deployment.

“Service members who are combat deployed have a 180-day extension to file their taxes from the day they return,” McRae said. “If they are hospitalized, they have an extra 180 days once they are released from the hospital.”

For married service members, McRae explained it might be better for spouses to file jointly because of lower tax bracket and a better chance of getting a bigger return. Also, he said spouses can claim their husband or wife as a dependent.

There are new rules for the 2013 tax season that include the sale of a house. Also, there is an Earned Income Tax Credit for those who qualify. According to the Internal Revenue Service website, EITC is a tax credit to help you keep more of what you earned. It is a refundable federal income tax credit for low to moderate income working individuals and families.

“A lance corporal who has been in for at least two years with no other income and two children, may qualify for an EITC of up to $5,339 refundable, depending on all tax factors,” said Staff Sgt. Rosemarie Cruz, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge for the base tax center.

McRae said the sooner people come in to have their taxes prepared, the better and easier it is for everyone.

Appointments are available upon request, but mostly reserved for those who have more complex tax returns, such as married service members with children or those who own a business. No appointment is necessary for less involved returns, and it takes approximately one hour to complete straightforward returns.

For more information, call the base tax center at 257-1564 or visit the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/. EITC awareness day is Jan. 31. For more information, visit the EITC website at http://www.eitc.irs.gov/Partner-Toolkit/awarenessday.