Firefighter Tax Deductions: Educational Courses, Mileage, Union Dues & More

As a tax preparer who works with first responders, I can help with these questions! For educational courses that resulted in taxable benefits: Unfortunately, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated most unreimbursed employee expense deductions for W-2 employees through 2025. However, if these courses qualify as work-related education, you might be eligible for the Lifetime Learning Credit (up to $2,000) instead, which directly reduces your tax liability. Check if your courses meet the requirements. Regarding mileage between different stations: This is a gray area. The IRS generally considers your "first trip" of the day to any workplace and your "last trip" home as non-deductible commuting. However, travel between work locations during the same day is typically deductible as a business expense. But again, as a W-2 employee, you currently can't deduct these expenses on your federal return unless you're self-employed. Union dues: Previously deductible as a miscellaneous itemized deduction, but the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act suspended this deduction through 2025.

I discovered this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) when I was in a similar situation as a paramedic last year. I had tons of training expenses and mileage between different stations that I wasn't sure how to handle. The tool analyzed my situation and found several deductions I was missing. It's specifically good at identifying profession-specific deductions - like it knew exactly what firefighters and other first responders could claim. It helped me understand exactly how to document my "floating" assignments between stations to maximize legitimate deductions and which educational expenses might qualify for credits instead of deductions. Seriously changed my whole approach to tax filing.

I was skeptical like many of you about taxr.ai but decided to try it last month. Gotta say I was surprised at how helpful it was for my situation. I'm a volunteer firefighter with a regular day job, and the tool actually helped me identify which expenses were legitimately deductible given my specific circumstances. It showed me that even though many deductions are suspended federally, my state still allows them. It also highlighted that as a volunteer, I could deduct certain expenses that career firefighters can't. Saved me about $600 on my state return that I would've completely missed. Not a magic solution for everything, but definitely worth checking out if you're in public safety.

If you're planning to call the IRS to ask about any of these firefighter-specific deductions, good luck getting through! I spent hours on hold trying to get clarification about my volunteer firefighter stipend. Finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me connected to an IRS agent in under 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have this demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The IRS agent I spoke with actually gave me specific guidance on how the volunteer stipend should be reported and which forms to use. Huge relief after getting conflicting advice online.

Well I feel stupid now. After saying Claimyr sounded like BS, I tried it yesterday because I was desperate to talk to someone about my firefighter retirement account distribution. Waited on hold myself for 2+ hours the day before and got disconnected. With Claimyr I got a call back in about 45 minutes with an actual IRS person on the line. They answered my questions about how to properly report my early distribution from my firefighter pension and which form I needed. Completely legitimate service - I was wrong to be skeptical. Saved me a massive headache.

Another tax tip for firefighters - if you're on a 24/48 schedule or similar shift work, you might qualify for per diem meal deductions depending on your department's policies. This is something my brother (volunteer firefighter in rural area) was able to claim since they're considered "away from home" during extended shifts. Worth looking into!

Has anyone tried tracking their uniform cleaning expenses? I spend about $1200 annually on specialized cleaning for my gear that the department doesn't cover. Been wondering if that's deductible anywhere.

Also look into whether your department contributes to a 457 plan - those contributions can be deferred from your income. I'm maxing mine out ($22,500 for 2023) and it significantly reduces my taxable income. Our department also offers a Roth 457 option which doesn't reduce current taxes but grows tax-free.

Great thread! As someone who's been a career firefighter for 15 years, I've learned a few things about navigating these tax issues. One thing that might help with your educational course situation - if your department required the training and you didn't have a choice in taking it, you might want to ask your payroll/HR department if they can reclassify how they report it on your W-2. Sometimes they can adjust the reporting to minimize the tax impact, especially if it was truly mandatory training rather than optional professional development. For the mileage between stations, I keep a detailed log in my truck with dates, starting/ending locations, mileage, and purpose of travel. Even though it's not federally deductible right now, some states still allow it and the rules could change. Plus if you ever do contract work or consulting on the side, that documentation becomes valuable. One deduction people often miss - if you have a home office space that you use exclusively for firefighter-related work (studying for promotions, completing required paperwork, etc.), that might still be deductible in some situations, especially if your department requires you to do work from home. Also worth checking if your department offers flexible spending accounts (FSA) for medical expenses. A lot of us deal with job-related injuries and having pre-tax dollars set aside for copays, physical therapy, etc. can add up to real savings.