European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To it income taxes a electronic by Kevin Robinson staff writer d card holders in Many army communities in Europe can now bypass commercial firms and electronically file their Federal income taxes free of charge military tax officials said. Quot throughout v corps it was a big priority for us to provide free electronic filing for the soldiers because they do spend a lot of Money for it with a amp a Block Quot said Nicki Mulligan an attorney adviser with v corps Legal assistance in Frankfurt Germany. Through the army s electronic filing taxpayers can expect refunds within 10 to 18 Days if the refund is deposited in a Bank account or four to six weeks if sent through the mail Mulligan said. At the v corps tax office in Frankfurt electronic filing services Are expected to last until shortly after the april 15 deadline a tax official said. Some tax offices will provide the service until mid june. 1 he army has on base locations offering electronic filing in communities in Germany Belgium the Netherlands and Italy v corps officials said. However filing Sites for air Force in Europe Are limited and none Are available for the Navy. At Many bases taxpayers can file returns by computer and then have them forwarded to one of the main electronic filing centers. The army Legal assistance office in Kirch Gons a amps Jonn to Rimer psf class Michell Thomas standing trains spec. Cheryl Atessis on electronic filing at a Center run by the army s 21st Talcom in Kaiserslautern. Germany for example acts As a pickup Point for returns sent through v corps in Frankfurt to the irs. The Kirch Gons office processed 37 clients during the first week electronic filing was offered an official there said. Filing is available three Days each week it was t available there at All last year. Quot when people Start getting them refunds Back Well know How Well it s going Quot the Kirch Gons official said last week. Quot we Are hoping to get some feedback in two  at Ramstein a Germany air Force tax officials this year Are electronically filing 1040ez forms through the army s 21 St Talcom in Kaiserslautern said senior airman Phillip Ulmer of the 86th Wing Public affairs office. Tax officials do this by putting income tax returns on computer disk and taking them to Kaiserslautern he said. For americans in Turkey electronic filing May be possible in the future As filing software becomes available said maj Joseph Impallaria command judge advocate . Army element nato land Southeast at Izmir a Turkey. Quot electronic filing. Is Only done on a test program basis in Europe Quot he said. Quot it has not been extended to Turkey  Impallaria said that army and air Force Legal judge advocate schools in the states May Purchase the software necessary for electronic filing of tax returns and Send it to american bases in Turkey. Away from the military there Are no commercial tax preparers such Ash amp a Block in Turkey he added. However army and air Force Legal offices do give full service to military Dod employees and civilians in Turkey he said. Tax personnel have continued on Page 18 free electronic filing the office of the staff judge advocate in the following locations will be offering free electronic tax filing to All serve remembers Doo civilians and their family members a Germany Augsburg Babenhausen bad Kreuz Nach Baum older Pitburg Darmstadt Frankfurt Hanau Heidelberg  Kaiserslautern Kirch guns Mannheim Coleman Barracks Mannheim Taylor Barracks Vilseck Wiesbaden Wurzburg Brussels Belgium Mons Belgium Hoen Broek the Netherlands Vicenza Italy for additional information Contact the Legal assistance office in the location nearest you. Closer lookers audit in t end of the worldly Jim Luther. The associated press there Are More dreaded phrases than Quot irs audit Quot but not Many. 1 perhaps it is fear of the unknown. After All chances a Given tax return will undergo an internal Revenue service audit a or examination As the irs Calls it a Are Only about 1 in 100. There was a time when the irs was accused of using fear of an audit As a weapon to ensure compliance with the tax Laws. Now the Agency cultivates a a customer Friendly Quot image telling taxpayers they have a right to be treated with consideration and to pay the least amount of tax that is possible within the Law. Nevertheless an audit is not something to be coveted. It can be time consuming disruptive a and expensive if you lose. Most individual tax returns routinely face a Type of audit every year. If your Only sources of income Are wages interest and dividends your return is checked automatically by computer. It makes sure that every Dollar of income you earned shows up on your return. If the computer finds the reports filed by employers Banks and brokers done to match your return it quickly kicks out a form letter asking you to pay up or explain. You done to have to assume the letter is Correct. If you Challenge it Send documentation for your Case along with a Check for what you think is right. The irs will let you know whether it agrees unlike the fast computer generated letters it can take the irs 12 to 24 months to inform you that your return was selected for a formal audit. Most audits Are initiated because the irs suspects deductions were overstated or some Cash payments were not reported. In those cases the audit generally is restricted to the items questioned by irs. On the other hand if your return is picked at random for the taxpayer compliance measurement program the irs can require you to prove every item on the return. These audits Are conducted to get a Benchmark for gauging the income deductions and tax liability of people at various economic Levels. In Many cases audits Are conducted by mail. If the irs demands a meeting the 1988 taxpayer Bill of rights makes two guarantees if you done to agree with the auditor s finding you May ask for an on the spot review by a supervisor. If you accept the verdict you sign form 870, which authorizes an immediate assessment and limits the interest you will be charged and pay up. Assuming you and the irs still can to agree a or if the audit was conducted in your Homer office a you will be mailed a "30-Day letter Quot that offers you a Chance to accept or to ask for an appeals conference inside the irs. If the appeals conference does not satisfy you the irs will Send a notice of deficiency or �?o90-Day letter a notifying you that at the end of 90 Days the additional tax will be assessed. Within that period you May file suit in tax. Court or pay the extra tax and sue for a refund in District court or the court of claims. The irs can assess additional taxes up to three years after a return is filed. But there is no cutoff if you failed to file at All or file a false return to evade taxes. Tuesday february 15, 1994 the stars and stripes 17