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Why hire veterans?
Hiring a military veteran is often a very good decision as veterans bring a myriad of unique talents, work ethic, military discipline, and experience to the workplace. Hiring veterans can also be a sound business decision for a business’ bottom line through tax credits. Businesses that hire eligible unemployed veterans can take advantage of the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).
Qualifying criteria under the WOTC
A number of qualifying veteran categories are covered under the WOTC. They include:
To be considered a veteran, the applicant must:
How much is the credit worth?
The tax credit is based on qualified wages paid to veterans following their hire date. To qualify, a veteran must work a minimum of 120 hours. Partial credit can be earned between 120 and 400 hours of work. Once a veteran works at least 400 hours, he or she can generate the maximum tax credit per the eligibility category. And those credits can add up quickly. For each eligible veteran who works at least 400 hours, WOTC tax credits can range from $2,400 to $9,600 in the first year of employment, depending on the eligibility category.
Process of certifying employees to claim WOTC
To claim WOTC credits on its federal income tax return, a business needs to do a few things first. Businesses need to receive a certification for each qualified employee from their state workforce agency (in California, the Employment Development Department, or EDD) that the newly-hired employee meets one of the eligibility criteria. In order to receive the certification, the business must submit IRS form 8850 for each qualified new hire to the state workforce agency within 28 days of the employee’s hire date. To accomplish this goal, form 8500 or a similar questionnaire is often included as part of information that a job applicant would complete as part of the interviewing and hiring process at the business.
And the WOTC credit doesn’t just include veteran categories. Businesses can also claim WOTC credits for hiring from other target groups where job applicants face barriers to employment, such as those on public assistance, long-term unemployed, or an ex-offender.
With WOTC certifications received from the state workforce agency, a business would be able to claim the tax credit on IRS form 5884, which is attached to the employer’s federal income tax return.
Next Steps
If you think that the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) might be applicable to your business, please contact one of the HCVT State & Local Tax professionals listed below:
Douglas Andersen, Partner douglas.andersen@hcvt.com
Brett Johnson, Principal brett.johnson@hcvt.com