DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Each year from February through mid-April, the 94th Mission Support Group’s Military and Family Readiness flight and the 94th Airlift Wing's Personal Financial Counselor, Mr. Kevin Startt, coordinate no-cost, compliant tax preparation services for military personnel.
Through partnership with the nonprofit organization Filing for Freedom, more than 100 service members received free tax preparation and filing services, saving members and their families more than $30,000 in fees.
“Dobbins [Air Reserve Base] was the first location selected for the project,” said Startt. “The event takes place during tax season, in February through April, on drill weekends. The event takes place to assist in tax filing and saves the enlistee an average of $300 per filing.”
The Filing for Freedom program is a partnership between the Department of Defense, the Internal Revenue Service, numerous state Certified Public Accountants, the American Bar Association and more. The goal of the program is to assist enlisted servicemembers in the grades of E-1 through E-8 prepare and file their taxes in a way that maximizes their potential returns while minimizing the amount of time spent worrying about whether filings were completed correctly.
At Dobbins, services are provided in-person, though some locations do offer virtual consultation services. Interested servicemembers are required to sign up for their in-person appointment prior to attending a consultation. After registering, servicemembers are instructed to bring their relevant tax documents to their appointment, where they sit down with a CPA or other IRS-trained professional who walks them through tax form preparation. Members should expect to bring their W-2 and any other forms that indicate their income, expenses, deductions and itemizations, if applicable, for the year. Following tax preparation, another professional will review the prepared documents and double-check for accuracy before filing.
An added benefit to filing using the Filing for Freedom program is that it provides servicemembers additional support in the event they are audited.
“By filing through this program, a CPA, enrolled agent or tax attorney can represent an enlistee in tax court if need-be,” Startt said. “The beauty of the program is that it gives back time and money to those who have sacrificed so much. It impacts families by providing the confidence of a trusted accounting professional.”
The partnership with Dobbins ARB and Filing for Freedom is an annual event, and the installation aims to host the event again during the 2025 tax season.
To learn more about personal financial counseling or myriad other services offered by Military and Family Readiness, servicemembers, veterans and their families can call 678-655-5004.