Illinois Offers Tax Credit to Volunteer Firefighters

The State if Illinois has announced a state-wide tax rebate for active volunteer firefighters. The “Volunteer Emergency Worker Credit” will cut $500 from a volunteer firefighter’s 2023 income provided they meet certain criteria. The credit requires that the volunteer firefighters have served their respective organizations for at least nine months and earned less than $5,000 [in nominal fees] over the past year. According to CBS News 2, more than 3,000 volunteers have requested the rebate so far and an estimated 10,000 are eligible.

Programs like this are not unusual. In recent years numerous states have stepped in and began providing additional benefits and incentives to volunteer firefighters in recognition of the significant time and effort required to be a volunteer today. Despite these initiatives recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters continues to be a constant challenge in today’s fire service. Click here for more on the program from the Illinois Dept. of Revenue.

Here is more on this story from CBS Chicago.