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Show Troops may faoe hefty tax bill An oddity in the law governing income in-come tax withholding may mean tax trouble for military officers who served in the Operation Desert Storm Combat Zone. The pay of enlisted personnel in the Combat Zone is completely excluded ex-cluded from tax, but the exclusion is only $500 per month for officers. However, the law required the government to stop all income tax withholding for both officers and enlisted personnel. Because officers make more than $500 per month, they may be hit with a large balance due when they file their returns for 1991. Even though the Internal Revenue Service has indicated it won't assess penalties for underpayment under-payment of tax to the extent the underpayment relates to combat pay, the officers may still be stuck with a hefty tax bill. "We recommend that officers in this situation determine now what their tax bill will be so they can be prepared to pay it when the time comes, ' said David Petersen, district manager of the Salt Lake City H&R Block office. "If they prefer, they can make estimated payments during the year to eliminate the balance due next spring. We'll be glad to discuss the options free of charge with any Desert Storm officer," added Petersen. For further information, call 355-4643. |