Time to dig through those shoeboxes full of paperwork, tax time is here.

And the more organized and knowledgeable you are about the laws, the easier it will be for you to file.

Military members, and spouses, often have very different tax rules to follow than non-military affiliated Americans. If you are tackling your own taxes this year, you need to know what laws give you a break not afforded to everyone else.

It is best to go to the source.

The IRS has webpages specifically addressing the needs of military families. The pages cover special tax considerations for disabled veterans, combat zone pay, proof of healthcare coverage through Tricare and retirement plan deductions.

Find the pages here:

https://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Information-for-Members-of-the-U.S.-Armed-Forces

https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Military

If you are letting a professional do your taxes, make sure that individual has experience working with military returns and can insure that you get all the benefits you are entitled to.

Military spouses, you need to take advantage of the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act. Though the law is complicated, in its most simple form, it allows spouses to only pay state tax in their state of residency, not the state they currently live in due to military orders.

For complete details, check out this document from the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps:

http://www.jag.navy.mil/organization/documents/tax/TIM%2002-10%20Encl%202.pdf

If you have any questions when filing your taxes, the best move is to seek help from the tax office on base. Never guess. A simple mistake could cost you thousands.