Joel Lee CPA, director-nominee of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Aubrey Washington, chair of the Accounting and Finance Department at the University of the Virgin Islands, have announced the continued partnership that allows accounting students of UVI to provide a great community service to taxpayers. BIR’s audit staff and the UVI students will help taxpayers with the filing of their 2018 income tax returns. This is a free service offered to taxpayers who are filing simple tax returns with the bureau.
The Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance Program will start on all three islands on Saturday, Feb. 23, and will run until April 13, except for Saturday, March 16 and March 30. Assistance will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
On St. Thomas, the program will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BIR office at 6115 Estate Smith Bay, Red Hook, across the street from the Red Hook dock. On St. Croix, the program will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BIR’s office at 4008 Estate Diamond. On St. John, the program will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BIR’s office at the Motor Vehicle Bureau in Cruz Bay.
Taxpayers should have all W-2VIs, 1099Rs (retirement income), other Form 1099s (interest and other income), and Form SSA (Social Security income) readily available when they arrive at the office.
Please refer questions about the Volunteer Taxpayer Assistance Program to Perpetua Cranston on St. Croix at 773-1040, ext. 4233 or to Le’Tishma Smith on St. Thomas-St. John at 715-1040, ext. 2276.
Director-nominee Lee 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 Bureau of Internal Revenue employee for the preparation of tax returns is asked to call Lee at 773-1040, ext. 4223 to report this violation.
