The V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue will begin its annual Taxpayer Assistance Program to help taxpayers with filing 2009 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 from Claudette Watson-Anderson, director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue,
The program will begin on all three islands on Saturday, Feb. 20, and will run every Saturday until April 10. There will be no taxpayer assistance on Saturday, April 3. This free service is provided by designated BIR personnel and will include answering questions about filing returns and completing tax forms 1040EZ and 1040A. Assistance will be provided on a first-come first-serve basis.
On St. Thomas, assistance will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the BIR office at 9601 Estate Thomas, next to Pueblo in Long Bay. On St. Croix, the program will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the BIR office at 4008 Estate Diamond. On St. John, taxpayer assistance will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BIR office at the Motor Vehicle Bureau in Cruz Bay.
Taxpayers should have available 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 Taxpayer Assistance Program on St. Thomas and St. John to Alonzo Brady at 715-1040, ext. 2238, and on St. Croix to Ramon Carasquillo at 773-1040, ext. 4233.
Director Watson-Anderson also reminds the taxpaying public that it is against the law for any Bureau of Internal Revenue employees 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 the director at 773-1040, ext. 4223 to report this violation.