Tax Credit OK'd For Firefighters

LEVITTOWN, Pa. -- Following a national trend to help volunteer fire companies maintain their ranks, Falls Township in Bucks County has enacted a law allowing firefighters to claim up to $500 in an Earned Income Tax credit.

Falls Fire Co. No. 1, Hills Fire Department and Levittown Fire Co. No. 1 volunteer firefighters can participate in the Volunteer Service Tax Credit ordinance adopted recently with the 2024 budget. It went into effect with the start of the new year.

To qualify for the tax credit, firefighters must meet certain criteria, according to Lauren Gallagher, township attorney who teamed with Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito in crafting the new ordinance

Criteria includes that firefighters must respond to a minimum of 10 percent of the calls for emergency service which the volunteer fire companies respond; or accrue a minimum of 25 hours of service attained by participating in a combination of emergency response calls, formal training and drills, administrative and support services, fundraising, or other sanctioned firehouse events.

For 2024 and subsequent years, according to the ordinance, the eligibility period runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Volunteers who have met the minimum criteria of the Volunteer Service Credit Program can sign and apply for certification from their chief or supervisor. From there, the application is forwarded to the Falls Township manager’s office for certification. All submissions are required to be sent to the manager’s office on or prior to April 1 each year.

Each active volunteer who is certified under the Volunteer Service Credit Program is eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $500 for the Falls Township portion of the EIT, according to the new act.

An active volunteer with a tax credit certification may file a claim for the tax credit on their township earned income tax liability when filing a final local return for the preceding calendar year, the new ordinance states.

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Volunteer firefighters get tax credit in Falls Township, Pa.Photo byMack DuncanonUnsplash