 Welcome to All Hands Update, I'm Petty Officer Taureo Morris. The 2015 tax season is fast approaching and it's never too early to take advantage of programs designed to make it less stressful. Active Duty Sailors, their dependents and retirees can use the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA program to get free help with filing their taxes. VITA volunteers are certified and offer free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing. The IRS also allows anyone who wants to learn to prepare taxes and make a difference at the same time, fill out an application and get online training. Nearly 96,000 people say yes to making a difference during the 2014 filing season and prepared over 3.6 million returns at thousands of tax sites nationwide. To find a local VITA site near you, or to find out how to be a volunteer, visit the IRS website.