Tax Credit for Employers Hiring Veterans This Year
Many businesses may qualify to receive thousands of dollars through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), but employers planning to claim an expanded tax credit for hiring certain veterans should act soon because they are only eligible for the credit if the veteran begins work before the new year.
Here are five key facts about the WOTC as expanded by The Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.
1. Hiring Deadline: Employers may be able to claim the expanded WOTC for qualified veterans who begin work on or after November 22, 2011 but before January 1, 2013.
2. Maximum Credit: The maximum tax credit is $9,600 per worker for employers that operate for-profit businesses, or $6,240 per worker for tax-exempt organizations.
3. Credit Factors: The amount of credit will depend on a number of factors. Such factors include the length of the veteran’s unemployment before being hired, the number of hours the veteran works and the amount of the wages the veteran receives during the first-year of employment.
4. Disabled Veterans: Employers hiring veterans with service-related disabilities may be eligible for the maximum tax credit.
5. State Certification: Employers must file Form 8850, Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit, with their state workforce agency. The form must be filed within 28 days after the qualified veteran starts work. Some states accept Form 8850 electronically.
Please give us a call if you need assistance filling out Form 8850 or if you’d like more information about the expanded tax credit for hiring veterans.
By Leon Clinton