News

Congressman David Wu (D-OR) is sending a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requesting clarification on reporting requirements for the benefits that volunteer firefighters receive as recruitment and retention incentives. Congressman Wu sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to every member of the U.S. House of Representatives asking them to sign onto the letter to the IRS before it is sent. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) urges you to contact your U.S. Representative to encourage them to sign onto the letter before May 21.

 

In recent years, the IRS has been requiring fire departments that previously reported the benefits they provide to their volunteers on Form 1099 to instead report them on Form W-2. This means that for the purposes of taxation, volunteer firefighters are treated as employees of the agency they serve. Not only does this contradict a recent ruling by the Department of Labor, it results in volunteer compensation being subject to all sorts of new taxes and reporting requirements.

 

View the “Dear Colleague” letter and the letter to the IRS. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Finger, NVFC Director of Government Relations, at (202) 887-5700, ext. 12 or dfinger@nvfc.org.