CMS WOTC Newsletter November 2019

In this issue:

Preview of New WOTC Dashboard
IRS Joint Directive on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit per Internal Revenue Code Section 51 (IRC § 51)
Giving Credits Where Credits Are Due
SHRM Foundation’s Veteran Hiring Initiative
How to Make WOTC a Part of Your Onboarding Process
WOTC Questions: Can I Re-hire a Former Employee?
Your WOTC Screening Options
#ICYMI

Preview of New WOTC Dashboard

We have a new look to your Work Opportunity Tax Credits dashboard coming very soon. (Date to be announced). The new look provides a more functional and mobile friendly layout. Customers can use the WOTC Portal Dashboard to monitor the status of their tax credits, see how many has been received, hoe many are certified, denied or still pending, and make sure that all new hires are complying.

IRS Joint Directive on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit per Internal Revenue Code Section 51 (IRC § 51)

A Joint Directive, released by the IRS this week, provides instructions to Large Businesses and International (LB&I) and Small Business and Self Employed (SB/SE) examiners on the treatment of Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) examinations under IRC § 51. Specifically, this Joint Directive is effective for all LB&I and SB/SE taxpayers claiming the WOTC in the year their eligible employees are certified.

Giving Credits Where Credits Are Due

CMS’s Brian Kelly was recently quoted in an article Giving Credits Where Credits Are Due on the Tax Notes’ The Business of Tax column by Jonathan Curry.

SHRM Foundation’s Veteran Hiring Initiative

The SHRM Foundation is helping employers recruit and hire Veterans. There are several hiring initiatives listed on their website, including Innovation Grants, Certificates and Digital Hiring Guides.

How to Make WOTC a Part of Your Onboarding Process

At iRecruit, we hear from people who visit our website all the time who tell us that when it comes to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, it “takes too much time to manage.” That’s where we come in. CMS-iRecruit has a dedicated service team working on finding WOTC credits for our customers. We manage the entire administration process from receiving the 8850 and 9061 forms, screening those forms, and submitting qualified candidates to the respective state workforce agencies. We also track the hours and wages of qualified candidates to make sure you get the maximum credit (calculate your potential credit).

WOTC Questions: Can I Re-hire a Former Employee?

At CMS, as Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) experts and service providers since 1997, we receive a lot of questions via our website’s chat box: CMS Says: Not in this case. Even if the employee only worked for you for a short period of time, because they are a rehire they do not qualify. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit only applies to new hires.

Your WOTC Screening Options

CMS provides three easy screening options for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit: Paper, Online, or by Phone. We recommend screening ALL new employees to avoid any potential discrimination.Contact your expert WOTC team via email or at 800-517-9099 if you have any questions.