Claudette Watson-Anderson, director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Aubrey Washington, interim dean of the School of Business of the University of the Virgin Islands, have announced a partnership that allows accounting students at UVI to provide a great community service to taxpayers. This year, the bureau will offer its annual Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance Program through the use of student interns. The interns will help taxpayers with the filing of their 2011 income tax returns. This is a free service offered to taxpayers who are filing simple tax returns with the bureau, according to a press release issued Thursday by the V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue.
“The Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance Program will begin on all three islands on Saturday, March 3, and will run every Saturday until March 31. Assistance will be provided on a first- come, first-serve basis, and the interns will be completing forms 1040EZ and 1040A only,” Watson-Anderson stated.
On St. Thomas, the program will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the bureau’s office at 6551 Estate Smith Bay, in Red Hook, across the street from the Red Hook dock. On St. Croix, the program will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the bureau’s office at 4008 Estate Diamond. On St. John, the program will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the bureau’s office at the Motor Vehicle Bureau in Cruz Bay.
Taxpayers should have all W-2s, W-2Ps (Retirement Income), form 1099s (Interest and Other Income), and form SSA (Social Security Income) readily available.
Please refer questions about the Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance Program on St. Thomas and St. John to 715-1040 and on St. Croix to 773-1040.
Director Watson Anderson also reminds the taxpaying public that it is against the law for any BIR employee to charge fees for preparation of a tax return. Any taxpayer who can provide proof of payment to a BIR employee for the preparation of tax returns is asked to call Director Watson Anderson at 773-1040, ext. 4223 to report this violation.