You run toward the fire.
Let us handle the tax return.

Tax preparation and tax planning built around firefighter pay, schedules, and pensions, from your first year on the job to your last.

Book your free 20-minute call

Firefighter pay isn’t simple. Your tax return shouldn’t pretend it is.

Between 24-hour shifts, mandatory overtime, strike team assignments, pension contributions, and maybe a side business or a rental, your tax picture is more complicated than most. And the rules keep changing:

  • Does my overtime qualify for the new federal deduction, and how much of it?
  • Should I be itemizing now that the SALT cap went up?
  • Can I deduct the gear, uniforms, and dues I pay for myself?
  • What will my taxes look like when I’m living on a pension?

Most preparers treat a firefighter’s return like any other W-2. That’s how deductions get missed, or claimed wrong and taken back later.

You spend your career taking care of everyone else. Your return deserves someone who knows the job.

A CPA who already knows the firefighter return.

Cannavo Tax & Accounting prepares returns for about 200 firefighters and their families. Led by Torre Cannavo, CPA, we know how 24-hour schedules, special work-period overtime rules, department pension plans, and 457 accounts show up on a tax return, and where California treats them differently from the IRS.

You won’t have to explain your schedule or your pay stub. We’ve seen it before.

What we look for on every firefighter return

  • The overtime deduction, calculated correctlyOnly the overtime premium required by federal wage law counts, and firefighters on special work periods figure it differently than 40-hour workers. We work out the right number, up to the federal limit.
  • The higher SALT deductionThe federal cap on state and local tax deductions rose from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025 and $40,400 for 2026. We check whether itemizing now beats the standard deduction for you.
  • California job-expense deductionsCalifornia still lets you deduct unreimbursed work costs, like uniforms and their upkeep, required gear, union dues, and certifications, above 2% of your income. The IRS no longer does.
  • Federal and California differencesCalifornia doesn’t follow the federal overtime deduction and handles itemized deductions differently. We reconcile both returns so nothing falls through.
  • Pension, 457, and special payWe confirm your retirement contributions and any leave cash-outs or special pay are reported correctly on your W-2 and your return.
  • Side businesses and rentalsPlenty of firefighters run a business or own a rental on their days off. We prepare those schedules too.

Three ways we can help

Clear, flat prices. You’ll know the cost before we start.

Firefighter Tax Return

Your annual federal and California return, prepared by someone who knows firefighter pay.

$500

Per year, for a standard return

  • Federal and California return preparation and e-filing
  • Qualified overtime deduction calculation
  • SALT and itemizing analysis, federal and California
  • California unreimbursed job-expense deductions
  • Help with notices on returns we prepare

+$250 for each self-employed business or rental property schedule

Early-Career Tax & Retirement Plan

For firefighters in the first part of their career who want to make the right moves now.

$750

One-time flat fee

  • Review of your current tax return, pay, and withholding
  • Roth versus pre-tax strategy for your 457 and other plans
  • Overtime, side income, and refund planning
  • A projection of your retirement income and taxes, including your pension and savings
  • A written plan with clear next steps

Retirement Transition Tax Plan

For firefighters retiring in the next few years who want to keep more of what they’ve earned.

$750

One-time flat fee

  • Retirement date and final-paycheck timing, including leave cash-outs
  • Tax review of your pension payout options
  • 457 and IRA withdrawal order, including the early-withdrawal rules for public safety retirees
  • Retiree health insurance premium exclusion for public safety officers
  • Roth conversion windows and withholding setup for your pension
  • What changes if you move out of California

Whether a deduction or exception applies depends on your specific facts, and we’ll tell you plainly if one doesn’t fit your situation.

Get started

How it works

  1. Book a free call

    Tell us where you are in your career and what you need. We’ll recommend the right service and confirm your price.

  2. Send your documents

    Upload your W-2s, pay stubs, and retirement statements through our secure portal. We’ll tell you exactly what we need.

  3. We prepare, review, and plan

    We file your return or build your plan, walk you through the results, and answer your questions.

What changes when you work with us

  • You claim what you’re entitled to, including the deductions built for jobs like yours.
  • Your overtime deduction is calculated, not guessed, so it holds up if the IRS asks.
  • You know what retirement looks like from a tax standpoint, years before you get there.
  • You make big decisions with confidence, like your retirement date, your pension option, and when to tap your 457.
  • You have one CPA who knows your job, year after year.

What happens if you wait

The federal overtime deduction is scheduled to end after 2028, and the higher SALT cap after 2029. Every year without the right numbers is money that’s harder to get back.

Retirement decisions are even less forgiving. Your pension option, your retirement date, and how your leave is paid out often can’t be changed once they’re made. The best time to plan is before you sign the paperwork.

Ready to get your taxes right?

Book a free 20-minute call. We’ll look at your situation, recommend the right service, and give you a clear, flat price.

Book your free call

Prefer to talk first? Call (909) 597-4460 or email info@cannavotax.com.