The Fort Bliss tax center has been discontinued
As of August 2021, the Fort Bliss Tax Center is PERMANENTLY CLOSED and will no longer exist to provide free tax preparation and filing services to members of the Fort Bliss community. In the absence of the Tax Center, alternative tax preparation and filing services are listed below.
Free Tax Preparation Sources
All Soldiers are strongly encouraged to use Military OneSource to prepare their taxes. Military OneSource is a confidential Department of Defense funded program that is both a call center and a website providing comprehensive information on every aspect of military life at no cost to Active Duty, Guard and Reserve Component members, their families and survivors.
Each year, from mid-January to mid-October, Military OneSource provides a free tax preparation and filing software called MilTax. MilTax has easy-to-use software that is designed specifically for the military community and tailored to military life (e.g., addressing scenarios including multiple moves, deployments and more). On MilTax, filers can work on their tax return preparation anytime, anywhere, at their own pace. Plus, calculations have a 100 percent accuracy guarantee by the software provider. In addition to the software, MilTax consultants are available to help military members and their families take command of their taxes and be the best guardian of their finances and families. Military OneSource also offers practical articles and guidelines on what is needed to file a successful return. For more information, visit WWW.MILITARYONESOURCE.MIL/MILTAX-FREE-TAX-SERVICES
Individuals who are not eligible to use MilTax may use the free filing services provided by the IRS. Please keep in mind that these free filing services have certain income thresholds. For more information, visit HTTPS://WWW.IRS.GOV/FILING/FREE-FILE-DO-YOUR-FEDERAL-TAXES-FOR-FREE
Qualified individuals can also get in-person support at a Volunteer Income Tax Support Assistance, or VITA, office location. For more information about VITA locations in the El Paso area, visit https://www.freetaxeselpaso.org/
Those who do not qualify for free filing will have to purchase a commercial tax preparation software program or hire a commercial preparer to file their taxes.
Documents Needed to File Taxes
When using any tax preparation software or service you will need to have certain documents available. The most important documents to have ready are last year's tax return and this year's W-2s. Filers will also need the following:
- Social Security Card/SSNs for all persons claimed on the tax return
- Real estate tax documents including mortgage interest statements (Form 1098)
- Alimony, child support or related payment agreements
- Investment tax documents (Form 1099)
- Any documented income from rental properties
- Records of moving expenses related to a new military assignment, retirement, separation, etc.
- Receipts/documentation for deductibles
- Child and dependent care information
- Bank account numbers and bank routing information for direct deposit of refund
- Information documenting payment of alimony (divorce decree or separation agreement
- Any documents demonstrating bank and interest-bearing accounts, student loan interest, child care expenses, etc.
For those using software, it is likely that the prior year return will be needed to set up an account.
Fort Bliss Legal Assistance Office Assistance for Certain Tax Issues
Although the Fort Bliss Legal Assistance Office will no longer provide tax preparation and filing services, it will continue to provide advice and assistance on certain tax issues, such as reviewing letters from the IRS or state tax authorities, as part of legal assistance. For those types of issues, please contact the Legal Assistance Office by sending an email to usarmy.bliss.hqda-otjag.mesg.bliss-legal-assistance-office@army.mil to make an appointment.