NEW FEDERAL CREDIT
Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, enacted March 18, 2010, two new tax benefits are available to employers who hire certain previously unemployed workers (“qualified employees”).
The Hire Act provides two key business credits.
- The first, referred to as the payroll tax exemption, provides employers with an exemption from the employer’s 6.2 percent share of social security tax on wages paid to qualifying employees, effective for wages paid from March 19, 2010 through December 31, 2010.
- In addition, for each qualified employee retained for at least 52 consecutive weeks, you also receive a general business tax credit of 6.2 percent of wages paid to the qualified employee over the 52 week period, up to a maximum credit of $1,000.