Fitzpatrick intensifies pressure on IRS to protect firefighters under Obamacare

U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks) has intensified his calls on the IRS to make sure volunteer firefighters aren't penalized under the Affordable Care Act.

The congressman on Thursday wrote a letter to the agency's new commissioner, John Koskinen, asking him to clarify what the IRS's policies will be under the new health care law.

Fitzpatrick's concern is that the IRS considers volunteer fire companies to be "employers" and their firefighters "employees" for federal tax purposes. The congressman wants to make sure the language isn't misinterpreted under the ACA, which will require employers with 50 or more employees to offer health insurance.

"This misguided classification has the potential to significantly harm volunteer emergency services across the country by requiring them to meet the law's employer mandates," Fitzpatrick wrote.

The congressman is already a cosponsor of the recently introduced Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, which would explicitly exempt them from the law.

The IRS referred The Inquirer's request for comment to the U.S Treasury, which said it is taking those concerns into account as it finalizes regulations under the new health care law.

"We received a number of comments concerning volunteer firefighters and other volunteers in response to proposed regulations issued last December," Treasury's statement said. "Pending issuance of the final regulations, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on their likely content."