From State Senator Don DeWitte:
Funds Still Available for Volunteer Emergency Worker Credit
I recently learned there is still money available in the Volunteer Emergency Worker Tax Credit Fund for this year.
The Volunteer Emergency Worker Credit was created in 2023 to provide financial relief to firefighters who have answered the call to serve their communities on a volunteer basis.
The credit is worth up to $500 and can be used to reduce an individual’s income tax liability.
The yearly allocation for the fund is $5 million, and credits are given on a first come first served basis.
If you are a volunteer emergency worker that meets the following criteria, I would encourage you to apply for this credit without delay.
You qualify if you are:
- An individual who serves as a member, on a non-full-time career basis, of a fire department, fire protection district, or fire protection association that has been issued a State Fire Marshal Identification Number (SFMID) by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM).
- Additionally, the applicant must not serve on a full-time career basis for another fire department, fire protection district, fire protection association, or government entity.
An individual is a volunteer member of a county or municipal emergency services and disaster agency and have completed at least 100 volunteer hours during the calendar year for which they are applying.
These volunteers must receive an EMA Identification Number from Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and Office of Homeland Security (OHS).
If you meet these criteria, you can click here to submit the form.
Additionally, you can click here to learn more about this this tax credit program.
