Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel and Reserve Peace Officer Tax Credit
The Volunteer Firefighter, Volunteer EMS Personnel, and Reserve Peace Officer Tax Credit is available for volunteer firefighters, volunteer EMS personnel, and volunteer reserve peace officers. In order to qualify for the credits, the taxpayer must meet the conditions listed below .
Qualifying Conditions
For Volunteer Firefighters:
Must be an active member of an organized volunteer fire department in Iowa.
Must meet the minimum training standards established by the Fire Service Training Bureau, a division of the Iowa Department of Public Health.
A paid firefighter who volunteers for another fire department is eligible for the credit.
A person who volunteers as a firefighter, for a fire department by which they are employed, is eligible for the credit if they are employed in a capacity other than as a firefighter.
For Volunteer Emergency Medical Services Personnel:
Must be trained to provide emergency medical care, certified as a first responder, and been issued a certificate by the Iowa Department of Public Health.
A paid EMS personnel member who volunteers for another department is eligible for the credit.
A person who volunteers as an EMS personnel member, for a department by which they are employed, is eligible for the credit if they are employed in a capacity other than as an EMS personnel member.
For Reserve Peace Officers:
Must be a volunteer, non-regular, sworn member of a law enforcement agency who serves with or without compensation, has regular police powers while functioning as a law enforcement agency's representative, and participates on a regular basis in the law enforcement agency's activities including crime prevention and control, preservation of the peace, and enforcement of the law.
Must have met the minimum training standards established by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.
A person who volunteers as a reserve peace officer, for a department by which they are employed, is eligible for the credit if they are employed in a capacity other than as a peace officer
Amount of the Tax Credit
The tax credit equals $250 if the volunteer serves for the entire calendar year. If the volunteer does not serve the entire year, the $250 credit will be prorated based on the number of months that the volunteer served. If the volunteer served for a portion of a month, that will be considered as an entire month. The table below provides the qualifying amount of tax credit by months of service for the year.
Number of Months of Service & Amount of Tax Credit
1 - $20
2 - $42
3 - $63
4 - $83
5 - $104
6 - $125
7 - $146
8 - $166
9 - $188
10 - $208
11 - $229
12 - $250
If an individual serves in more than one position as a volunteer firefighter, volunteer EMS personnel, and reserve peace officer, the credit can only be claimed for one volunteer position. One credit can be claimed on the IA 1040.
Written Statement Requirements
Taxpayers claiming the tax credit are required to have a written statement from the fire chief, the chief of police, sheriff, commissioner of public safety, or other appropriate supervisor verifying that the individual was a volunteer for the number of months that are being claimed. These letters do not have to be included with a filed return, but must be produced by the taxpayer upon request by the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR). It is recommended that the statement contain the following information: Volunteer Name, Fire Department or EMS Service Name or Police Department, Number of Months of Service for the Year, Amount of Qualifying Credit, and the Name, Title, and Signature of the official authorizing the credit.