The largest labor union for firefighters and emergency service workers in North America is giving the tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act its official stamp of approval.
Leadership of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which represents over 350,000 members, endorsed the tax cuts, specifically praising the elimination of taxes on qualified overtime pay and the increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap.
“Firefighters and emergency medical workers shouldn’t be penalized for choosing a career in public service,” IAFF General President Edward Kelly said in a statement obtained by The Post.
“President Trump respects the contributions lAFF members make to our country and recognizes the importance of ensuring these brave men and women can keep more of their hard-earned money.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is intended to be President Trump’s marquee legislative agenda, contains tax cuts, increased border security funding, energy reforms, bolstered defense and other conservative priorities.
On taxes, the megabill extends much of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and fulfills Trump’s campaign promises of no taxes on qualified tips and overtime pay. It also increases the deduction for seniors by $4,000 in lieu of no taxes on Social Security, something that procedural rules ensnare.
On overtime pay, individuals earning under $160,000 would get the tax exemption. The lAFF described this as a “needed fix” for members “whose jobs demand long hours and time away from home.”
The SALT cap also jumps from $10,000 annually to about $40,000, which phases out after $500,000 in income, something the lAFF argued will help members in “high-cost areas keep more of what they earn.”
“These common-sense tax proposals from President Trump improve our members’ quality of life and allow them to focus on what matters most: keeping their communities safe,” Kelly added.
Last month, the House GOP narrowly passed the legislative bundle through the lower chamber. Now it is up for consideration in the Senate, where GOP senators were looking to make adjustments.
If the package of bills clears the Senate and receives adjustments, it will have to go back to the House before it can get to Trump’s desk. Republicans are hoping to give the bill to Trump to sign by the Fourth of July.
During the 2024 election cycle, the lAFF declined to endorse either Trump or former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The union estimates that its members safeguard about 85% of the population in the US and Canada.
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