Bill Detail
An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer tax credit)
This enactment amends subsections 118.06(2) and 118.07(2) of the Income Tax Act in order to increase the amount of the tax credits for volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer services from $6,000 to $10,000. The enactment also modifies the definition of “eligible volunteer firefighting services”.
Bill C-204 proposes to increase the tax credit available to volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers. Currently, these individuals can claim a tax credit based on $6,000. This bill would raise that amount to $10,000, meaning they could receive a larger tax refund or have less tax to pay.
The bill also clarifies what is considered "eligible volunteer firefighting services." It specifies that this includes being available or on call for firefighting, emergency, and non-emergency duties, even if volunteers receive a small payment that isn't a living wage. This change aims to provide greater financial recognition for these essential community service roles.