In 2020 the state of Tennessee issued 57,036 Work Opportunity Tax Credit certifications.
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, known as WOTC, is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire individuals from target groups, that include qualified Veterans, individuals on food stamps and more.
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is available throughout the United States, and in 2020 it was worth approximately $3.8 Billion dollars to employers. 1,620,806 total Work Opportunity Tax Credits were issued in the United States in 2020. WOTC was renewed for five years in 2020, and is active through 12/31/2025.
Nationwide, Tennessee issued 3.52% of WOTC Tax Credits in 2020.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit Statistics for Tennessee 2020:
| WOTC Target Group | Total Credits | Percentage |
| SNAP (FS) | 41,095 | 72.05% |
| IV-A (TANF) | 4,135 | 7.25% |
| SSI Recipient | 3,024 | 5.30% |
| Ex-felon | 2,287 | 4.01% |
| Long term IV-A (TANF) | 2,234 | 3.92% |
| Veteran unemp. 6 Mo. | 987 | 1.73% |
| Veteran unemp. 4 Wk | 966 | 1.69% |
| Designated Community Resident | 883 | 1.55% |
| Long Term Unemployment | 732 | 1.28% |
| Veteran Receiving SNAP | 522 | 0.92% |
| Vocational Rehabilitation | 82 | 0.14% |
| Disabled Veteran unemp. 6 Mo. | 53 | 0.09% |
| Disabled Veteran | 18 | 0.03% |
| Summer Youth | 18 | 0.03% |
| Ticket Holder | 0 | 0.00% |
In 2020 the state of Tennessee issued 57,036 Work Opportunity Tax Credit certifications, or 3.52% overall.
More about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit’s target groups.
Tennessee WOTC Tax Credit Certifications 2014 – 2020:
| WOTC Certifications | Current Pending* | Denials | Total Requests | |
| 2020 | 57,036 | 70,825 | 95,854 | 223,715 |
| 2019 | 72,107 | 86,520 | 92,180 | 250,807 |
| 2018 | 71,763 | 165,856 | 85,140 | 322,759 |
| 2017 | 143,453 | 143,077 | 114,187 | 400,717 |
| 2016 | 61,679 | 238,818 | 40,724 | 341,221 |
| 2015 | 36,829 | 77,004 | 47,717 | 161,550 |
| 2014 | 54,300 | 60,003 | 35,510 | 149,813 |
*Pending at time of publishing (February 2021).
About Our WOTC Screening Services
- Why you should use CMS’s WOTC Tax Screening Service rather than doing it yourself.
- Get an idea of how much you could be saving by utilizing the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for your company, try our WOTC Calculator.
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