How Businesses Can Save Money on Holiday Hiring

With just a few weeks to go until Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah, retailers are seeking to fill seasonal positions

Snagajob.com is reporting that on average retailers plan to hire 3.1 seasonal employees in 2009, a drop of 16% from last year. They report that retailers aren't the only ones hiring. Other good bets include warehouse jobs, restaurant jobs and hotel jobs. Tax preparation companies like Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block also offer seasonal jobs.

If you are hiring seasonal employees this holiday season you are not alone. Thousands of companies nationwide have already begun their annual holiday hiring to accommodate the expected increase in seasonal sales.

The holiday hiring season provides a huge opportunity for employers to take advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. WOTC applies to new hires only for employees who fall into one of the following categories:

• Designated Community Resident
• Ex-Felon
• Family Assistant Recipient
• Family Assistant Recipient (long term)
• SNAP Recipient (food stamps)
• SSI Recipient
• Summer Youth
• Veteran
• Veteran (disabled)
  

New hires do not have to be full-time employees in order for you to qualify for the tax credit. As long as the employee works between 120 - 400 hours for your company you can receive up to 40% of their wages (up to $6,000) in tax credits.

CMS has processed WOTC tax credits for companies for over 13 years and based on our experience up to 15% of the workforce is eligible for the employment tax credits. Why aren’t you taking advantage? Call CMS today at 1-800-517-9099 to find out how we can save you money this holiday season.

Calculate your potential tax savings with our WOTC Tax Credit Savings Calculator


About CMS
CMS - Sage Abra HRMS is a Sage Software Select certified Business Partner, providing Sage Abra HRMS software solutions to the North East. CMS has been providing Sage Abra HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems), Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits Enrollment, Training, Time and Attendance, Employee Self Service, and Work Opportunity Tax Credits solutions since 1997. Call CMS Today For a Free Assessment of Your HR & Payroll Software Needs at 1-800-517-9099.

Rooney Seeks to Expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit

Rooney and Boccieri Join Together Again on to Introduce Another Job Creation Bill

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) and Congressman John Boccieri (D-Ohio) introduced their second bipartisan job creation bill titled the Back to Work Tax Credit Act which encourages employers to create new jobs by hiring the long-term unemployed. The legislation, which builds upon the HIRE America Act introduced earlier this month by Rooney and Boccieri, specifically expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to give employers a tax credit for hiring people who have been collecting unemployment benefits for 26 weeks.

“Getting people back to work is job one for me,” said Rep. Tom Rooney. “Florida’s unemployment rate climbed to a staggering 11% last month. Hendry County has the highest unemployment rate in the state with 16.8% and St. Lucie is ranked third with 15.3%. These are unacceptable numbers that demand action. Finding real solutions requires bipartisan action and that is why I have partnered with my Democratic colleague and fellow freshman Rep. John Boccieri to introduce the ‘Back to Work Tax Credit Act’ to help get people back to work today.”

“With Ohio’s unemployment rate still higher than the national average, the time is now to put Ohioans back to work,” said Congressman Boccieri. “Though we have a long way to go to rebuild our economy, we are headed in the right direction with the Back to Work Tax Credit Act. This legislation is a win-win for employers and employees because it encourages businesses to hire additional workers, especially those who have been unemployed for many months. This legislation helps struggling employers in our district create new jobs, encourages economic growth, and helps Ohioans who want to work get back on their feet. I am proud we can come together not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, to protect our workers, create economic development, and restore the hope and promise of America.”

“Creating jobs on the Treasure Coast is crucial to economic recovery,” said Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce President Joe Catrambone. “Businesses in Martin County need help to grow and expand allowing them to hire additional employees -- expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is great way to encourage business to expand.”

The Back to Work Tax Credit Act helps people who most urgently need to get back to work by expanding the income tax credit to employers who hire the long-term unemployed. The bill expands the income tax credit to 40% of the first $6,000 in wages paid for employers who retain new hires on their payroll for at least 400 hours during the worker’s first year of employment.

Earlier this month, Boccieri and Rooney worked together to introduce the Helping Invigorate and Revive our Economy Act of 2009, also known as the HIRE America Act, to help create jobs for a larger pool of working Americans by expanding the WOTC to encourage employers to hire more employees in general, not just the long-term unemployed.

Currently the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is set to expire on August 31, 2011. The HIRE America Act would make these provisions permanent. For additional information on the current Work Opportunity Tax Credit please click here.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit in Wyoming

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is available to employers in Wyoming who hire people from specific target groups that experience barriers to employment.

• WOTC can provide up to $2,400 in tax relief for each qualifying hire, and up to $9,000 for long term family assistance recipient hires.
• Easy application process. We do all the work for you.
  
• Full-time, part-time, and temporary employees make your business eligible for the tax credit.
• Employers may claim a tax credit on an unlimited number of qualifying new hires.
  

The Tax Credit program was extended through August 31, 2011. This occurred when the President signed The Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007 into law on May 25, 2007.

• Additional Work Opportunity Tax Credits information for the State of Wyoming: http://www.wyomingworkforce.org/es/wotc.aspx

WOTC Forms

• wotc_8850_2009.pdf
• wotc_9061_2009.pdf

CMS has processed WOTC tax credits for companies for over 13 years and based on our experience up to 15% of the workforce is eligible for the employment tax credits. Why aren’t you taking advantage? Call CMS today at 1-800-517-9099 to find out how we can save you money.

Calculate your potential tax savings with our WOTC Tax Credit Savings Calculator

About CMS
CMS - Sage Abra HRMS is a Sage Software Select certified Business Partner, providing Sage Abra HRMS software solutions to the North East. CMS has been providing Sage Abra HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems), Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits Enrollment, Training, Time and Attendance, Employee Self Service, and Work Opportunity Tax Credits solutions since 1997. Call CMS Today For a Free Assessment of Your HR & Payroll Software Needs at 1-800-517-9099.