Good News! WOTC Program Reauthorization Included in White House’s 2012 Budget
A delegation from the WOTC Coalition visited the Whitehouse on Friday where they met with Special Assistant to the President Kareem A. Dale and Domestic Policy Council member Lauren Dunn. Their goal was to obtain White House support for reauthorization of the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program. The mission was a clear success. (more…)
- 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
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
Work Opportunity Tax Credit for Hurricane Katrina Employees
Recently, I’ve received inquiries about Congressional efforts to extend the expired Hurricane Katrina provision of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program. Here’s the latest as I understand it.
The Hurricane Katrina WOTC provision has NOT yet been extended. But it is part of the currently idle Baucus Job Creation and Tax Cuts Act — also known as the Baucus Tax Extenders bill. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation
Senate Passes H.R. 2847 Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act
Today, as anticipated, the U.S. Senate approved the amended HIRE Act, which had been passed back from the House on March 4th (see previous post). As you may recall, this bill includes a Payroll Tax Forgiveness program. For qualifying workers, this will relieve employers of the 6.2 percent FICA tax expense during 2010. If such a worker remains employed for at least 52 weeks, the employer receives a $1,000 income tax credit for 2011. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation, Payroll Tax Forgiveness
Amended Jobs Bill (HR 2847) Goes Back to the Senate
The Jobs for Main Street Act, which we’ve been following from House to Senate to House, is now headed back to the Senate again. From the House perspective, the bill is known as the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (or “HIRE”) Act. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation, Payroll Tax Forgiveness
Senate Votes to Limit Further Debate on Senator Reid’s New Tax Credits
It just hit the news – and we received a corroborating update from Paul E. Suplizio, President of the WOTC Coalition. As anticipated, the U.S. Senate voted this afternoon to limit debate on Senator Reid’s amendment SA 3310 to the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 (H.R. 2847). As I described yesterday, Reid’s amendment adds two new federal tax-incentive programs intended to help the private sector create and maintain new jobs. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation, Payroll Tax Forgiveness, Unemployed Workers
Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 – Vote Schedule for Monday
Paul E. Suplizio, President of the WOTC Coalition, in a private correspondence to coalition members, informed us on Friday that the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847) is schedule for a vote by the U.S. Senate on Monday afternoon. The bill will include an important amendment, Senate Amendment 3310, by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. (more…)
- Published in Payroll Tax Forgiveness
WOTC Coalition Urging New 5-Year Carryback Provision for WOTC Tax Credit
The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed H.R. 4213, the “Tax Extenders Act of 2009”, which has now been sent to the U.S. Senate. The bill in its current form includes an extension of the WOTC program’s Hurricane Katrina provision, which would be extended through August 2010. It does not yet, however, contain other desired WOTC program provisions. (more…)
- Published in Federal Legislation, Work Opportunity Tax Credit