Widening your candidate pools to include those not traditionally thought of as “best hires” is a savvy way forward-thinking companies have diversified their workforces (diverse workforces are beneficial, and candidates from myriad backgrounds help expand the ways your organization thinks, innovate, and produce results), filled open roles…and received tax credits. Is that news to you? Then you’ve probably never heard of The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), an incentive for employers to broaden job applicant pools and hire from designated groups that historically have had trouble finding jobs.
This federal tax credit is available to employers hiring and retaining employees from 10 target groups with “significant barriers to employment,” such as the long-term unemployed, unemployed or disabled military veterans, and those who’ve completed vocational rehabilitation. According to SHRM, maximum tax credits range from $2,400 to $9,600 depending on the worker category, number of hours worked, and wages earned. While about $1 billion in tax credits are claimed annually, millions are left on the table because so many employers don’t realize WOTC is available to them.
WOTC provides tax relief to companies hiring individuals belonging to one of the following 10 target groups:
“Companies are rethinking who is the ‘ideal’ employee,” says HiringThing HR Strategic Business Partner Becca Noland. “Traditionally, something like long-term unemployment is held against potential hires when taking a break for mental health, to travel, to help care for family, or for medical reasons shouldn’t disqualify a candidate. Similarly, just because someone committed a crime as a young person doesn’t mean they didn’t learn and growl. The folks in these categories represent some real raw workplace talent.”
To claim the WOTC credits, employers must screen job applicants and determine their eligibility on or before the day they give an offer of employment. They must submit IRS Form 8850 and ETA Form 9061 or ETA Form 9062 for each newly hired eligible employee within 28 days after their starting date. It may sound complex, but that’s why there are companies whose mission is to help employers navigate the program’s complexities.
HiringThing has partnered with HRlogics to deliver solutions for maximizing the benefits of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program. HRlogics' expert-driven approach simplifies the WOTC process, helping businesses of all sizes leverage this valuable tax incentive to its fullest potential. Their technology streamlines and automates the cumbersome process of identifying eligible candidates, maximizing tax credits, and optimizing overall financial benefits for your business.
You can visit their website to learn more. HRlogics will be available to all HiringThing direct users in our Partner Marketplace. HiringThing white label partners can offer it to their clients as an additional value add.
HiringThing is a modern recruiting and employee onboarding platform as a service that creates seamless talent experiences. Our white label solutions and open API enable technology and service providers to offer hiring and onboarding to their clients. Approachable and adaptable, the platform empowers anyone, anywhere to build their dream team.