In a letter to U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the Internal Revenue Service announced this week that firefighters and police officers will not be expected to pay taxes on common clothing items that they are required to wear while on duty. “I am pleased that the IRS has clarified its policy on taxing police and fire department uniforms,” said Sen. Warner, in a statement issued yesterday. “Now our firefighters and police officers can stop worrying about getting taxed for their clothing and concentrate on what they do best: keeping us safe.”

Arthur Townsend, president of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, stated, “On behalf of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, I want to thank Sen. Warner for standing up for our members all across Virginia. He continues to demonstrate a clear understanding of our needs and a willingness to support the sheriffs and deputies who put their lives on the line and protect the public.”

Last year, Botetourt County, Va., was audited by the IRS and found to owe $91,000 in back taxes, stemming in part from an IRS finding that the locality erred in not taxing deputies for the value of certain common clothing items that are part of their uniforms, according to the statement.