IRS Information About HIRE Act Payroll Tax Exemption
If your company participated in the HIRE Act’s 2010 payroll tax exemption there is important IRS information you need to know. Without becoming anyone’s tax advisor (I’m not), let me point out a thing or two from the IRS website. I strongly recommend that you go there yourself (and make sure your payroll services provider is fully informed!). (more…)
- Published in Hire a Hero Act of 2010
Fight Is Over For Now – Missing Tax Incentives To Stay Missing
The US House is schedule to vote on the tax bill today. The House Rules Committee, however, is allowing a vote on only one proposed amendment – an amendment to increase the estate tax. The rule allows no other motions or amendments on the bill.
While we hoped for an extension of the HIRE Act payroll tax exemption, that program will end for new hires (as it was originally scheduled) on December 31. Do not forget, however, that the HIRE Act’s worker-retention tax credit remains in play — many employees who qualified for the payroll tax exemption in 2010 will generate an additional income tax credit for their employer in 2011 after working for 52 weeks.
Some employers who participate in the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program will experience a small decrease in qualifications in 2011 as the Disconnected Youth and Unemployed Veteran target groups also expire. We are consoled, however, by the fact that the WOTC program itself has been renewed through 2011.
So, far now — for now — the fight is temporarily over. In 2011, we will be working with the new Congress to renew and extend as many of these provisions as feasible. If you’re interested in joining the WOTC Coalition and playing some role in the effort, contact Paul Suplizio, President of the WOTC Coalition. Visit the Coalition’s website at www.WOTCCoalition.com.
- Published in Federal Legislation
U.S. Senate Passes Tax Bill – Eyes Turn to House to Please Add Back Missing Tax Incentives!
The Senate today passed the much anticipated tax bill without renewing the HIRE Act Payroll Tax Exemption, federal Renewal Communities, or the WOTC provisions for disconnected youth, unemployed veterans, or Gulf Opportunity Zone employers. This is a disappointment, but not unexpected.
Now that HR 4853 has been passed to the U.S. House of Representatives, eyes turn to susceptible House members seeking an amendment to add these provisions. If these incentives are important to you, please consider contacting House Members from your jurisdictions and urge them to support including these 5 provisions with any amendments to the tax bill. Make a special effort to contact Ways and Means Chairman Sander Levin.
Paul Suplizio, President of the WOTC Coalition, pointed out today that these 5 programs are “current-law job creation incentives” — so we are not urging the creation of any new program. In summary, what we seek:
- Extension of the HIRE tax credits
- Extension of the Renewal Community program
- Extension of WOTC for disconnected youth
- Extension of WOTC for unemployed Iraq-Afghanistan era veterans
- Extension of WOTC for Gulf Opportunity Zone employers
On the bright side, the bill passed by the Senate does include reauthorization of:
- The WOTC Program through 2011
- The Research and Development Tax Credit
- The Indian Employment Credit
- The Empowerment Zone Program
- The District of Columbia Enterprise Zone
See my previous post on this.
- Published in Federal Legislation
Asking the US House to Include Key Tax Incentives in House Amendment
As noted in my most recent post, some key employment incentives were left out of the Senate version of the tax bill being discussed in Washington D.C. I received a correspondence today from Paul Suplizio, President of the WOTC Coalition, detailing current efforts to include the missing programs in the House version of the bill. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation
Renewal of Key Tax Incentives Still Up In the Air
As reported by Jamie Dupree Washington Insider, Senate Majority Leader Harry Read’s office has released a summary of elements included in the Senate’s version of the tax compromise between President Obama and Congressional Republicans. The list is long and may include other provision of interest to you. For my purposes, however, this post focuses on employment-based tax incentives (and the much prized R&D credit). (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation
Future of The HIRE Act’s Payroll Tax Exemption Benefit
While many U.S. employers have taken advantage of the 2010 federal HIRE Act’s Payroll Tax Exemption benefit, many more have not. As it currently stands, the Payroll Tax Exemption program is slated to expire on December 31, 2010; however, at least 2 facts mitigate the looming end of the program. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation, Payroll Tax Forgiveness
Americans Want to Work Act – Proposal Would Extend Payroll Tax Holiday
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan has introduced S3706, The Americans Want to Work Act. Of most interest to this forum is that this bill would extend the HIRE Act’s Payroll Tax Exemption through the end of 2011. The Payroll Tax Exemption is currently slated to expire on December 31, 2010. (more…)
- Published in Payroll Tax Forgiveness
U.S. Treasury Department Reports RE HIRE Act Payroll Tax Exemption
On August 2, the U.S. Treasury Department published a report titled Updated Estimates of Newly Hired Employees Eligible for the Hire Act Tax Exemption. If you have a problem with that link, you can still read the Department’s press summary.
This new report provides monthly updated estimates of potential eligibility under the HIRE Act, including data through June 2010. According to the updated estimates, from February 2010 to June 2010, businesses hired 5.6 million new workers who had been unemployed for eight weeks or longer;
- Published in Payroll Tax Forgiveness
Amazing Map — Geography of a Recession — And the Hire Act Payroll Tax Exemption
This amazing map was published by the American Observer (American University’s Graduate Journalism Magazine). Using color mapping, it illustrates the monthly progress of the recession in each U.S. county as reflected by increasing levels of unemployment. (more…)
- Published in Unemployed Workers