European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                High tech if you need that tax return in a hurry you can always file from Europe by computer by Randy Mcclain financial writer the latest in electronic gadgetry is coming to Europe this tax season. For the first time .  willing to pay As much As a $35 fee will be Able to tile simple tax returns including forms i040ez, 040aand 1040. By computer. A number of other forms and schedules also can be filed electronically. The service which can Cut the time the irs needs to deliver refunds by As much As three weeks is being offered by most or Block offices in West Germany and by Mililay a private tax preparation firm with 70 Branch offices in West Germany. England and Iceland. The idea May sound like a great one a first Blush but critics suggest that the fees arc too High and the benefits too Small. They advise filing by mail and waiting patiently for a refund As always. Whether a person gets his Check in one week or four weeks what difference docs it make asked . Mcdonald an or Block franchisee in Wiesbaden. West Germany. Mcdonald is among 17 Block franch Isaccs overseas who have chosen not to participate in the program. Thirty other Block offices All in West Germany have electronic filing capabilities. Ron Smircich. Who oversees european operations for the company says electronic filing makes sense. The fees we re charging in Europe arc the same As those charged in the United states Smircich said. And in the states Block has had a very Good response to the  Block charges  $25 for electronic filing if the company also prepares the tax return. The fee is $35 to file returns prepared elsewhere. In 1989. 20 percent of or Block s customers used electronic filing. Nationwide the irs reported that 1.2 million of 103 million lax returns were filed Cle chronically last year. Here s How the service will work in West Germany taxpayers go to Block or Mil tax for preparation of their lax returns. When the forms arc filled out instead of popping them into an envelope information will he entered into a personal computer along with each taxpayer s w-2 data. The information is then transmitted to offices in the United states. Block s returns will be sent to an i i a Block subsidiary in Ohio. Mil tax plans to file electronically with the help of a firm in Norman. Ind. The final step will be for the tax data to be transferred to the irs computer. Barbara Gehrmann an irs spokeswoman in Bonn West Germany said the information must pass through a Middle Man before ending up in u Nolc Sam s memory Banks because the Agency in t set up to accept direct data transmissions from Europe. More complicated returns such As those that include claims of a foreign tax credit or foreign earned income Haven t been cleared for electronic filing. The irs also will allow Only those americans in Europe with Apo addresses to use the new filing method. But Gehrmann said there will be benefits for taxpayers Able to file electronically. It speeds up the processing of refunds sometimes by As much As three weeks she said. Still the process apparently in t fast enough for some overseas taxpayers who want nearly immediate refunds. In response or Block has kicked off a Quick Ronald Smircich and Pauleon Rogers Experiment with the ii a Block computer at Bic Loftheim West Germany that will allow electronic lax filings to the . Loan program in West Germany that will allow customers to apply for Loans equal to the refunds they re owed. Loans will be paid out in a week or less even before the irs has finished reviewing a taxpayer s return. Mil tax will not offer such a program. At Block All loan applications will be processed in West Germany but the institution actually loaning funds will be the beneficial National Bank of Wilmington del., Smircich said. Loans will be made for amounts Between $300 and $3,000. A Flat fee of $35 will be charged no matter what size loan a customer wants. Customers will pay off beneficial As soon As their actual refund checks arc delivered. Gerald Burroughs former co director of or Block s european operations and Nowa private tax pc Parr said  who apply for the Short term Loans will be making a mistake.  arc really getting taken for a ride he said. A customer with a $300 tax refund on its Way might have spent Between $25 and $50 to get his tax return filled out then hell Shell out at least another $25 to file electronically and yet another $35 to get his pc refund loan. Financially it s just not sound. You d be better off putting that Money in the Bank Burroughs said. Smircich said Block won t pressure customers to Lake out Loans but he predicted that some customers will insist on it. We re just offering a service he said.  can take it or leave  using Over a form  us Milf he mtg hmm my Tivit a Milt Kate assistance is nearby by Randy Pruitt staff writer it s that time again and you can Only groan. The w-2s Are Laid out alongside your form 10-10. You be rounded up cancelled checks and crumpled receipts of possible deductions popped fresh batteries into the calculator and sharpened the pencils to a Fine Point. The Coffee is brewing and you feel a headache coming on. No matter where you re stationed in Europe there s no escape from . Income taxes. But Lake heart. It does t have m be that bad. While Uncle Sam is taking with one hand he is offering help with another. John Simmons chief of Fth Legal assistance division for Usa eur Headquarters in Heidelberg said lawyers from the army and air Force known As unit tax advisers Are ready to assist men and women in uniform with their 19s9 taxes. We re prepared to go through the return line by line with the Soldier to get the Job done Simmons said. There Are 57 Legal assistance offices in Usa eur and 30 in Safe. The service is free. The judge advocate general and everybody in Legal assistance opposes paid tax pc parcs on Post because we think we can do As Good or better a Job and a it for nothing Simmons said. The service is particularly helpful for the  whose tax situation is complicated because he is renting his Home in the United states. Some people overseas May be unaware that their Home stale requires the filing of an income lax return he said. Simmons said his office goes beyond taxes. We assist the Soldier in any of his personal civil Legal affairs. He can come to Legal assistance asking advice on any financial matter. That does t include giving business  but if a Soldier is thinking of buying Mutual funds increasing his insurance or is Uncertain about buying . Savings Bonds or certificates of Deposit he can get help. We could t necessarily recommend one Mutual fund Over another but you can find out w hat the Guy s financial desires arc and if one is involved in exploring new risk companies and he s interested in Long term growth or income you could recommend the proper  he said. We recommend vehicles they should use but not necessarily the specific ones he said. I encourage them to read and follow the track record of funds not this year not last year but a fund that s been around five or ten years and is consistently better than  Simmons a certified financial planner says he is a cynic when it comes to salesmen. Everybody s trying to gel their hands in the Soldier s pocket. From a consumer Protection Point of View Don t buy anything Over Here from anybody who wants to sell it to you he said. One of Fth first things 1 Tell people is Don t buy insurance you Don t need and Don i buy land you can t  schedules and forms from a to z the search for simplicity to leading More and More taxpayers to file the single Page form 1040ez. That is not a Wise Choice for Many taxpayer 1 to could save Money by min form 1040 a or Itiat Ong form 1040. Mara Are the Batic rules 1040ez Only for single taxpayers who Are neither Blind nor past their 651ft by or the named income credit 1040 any taxpayer May use it their ate no Suppf Manta o it