Federal Tax Credits for Hiring Veterans

Receive a Tax Credit of up to $9600 for Every Eligible Veteran Hired

How can your organization claim a tax credit for hiring veterans?

UPDATED for 2021: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is authorized until December 31, 2025 (Section 113 of Division EE of P.L. 116-260 -- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021).

On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (the PATH Act) that extends and modifies the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program, WOTC), resulting in an extension of the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Credits. Both of these credits were retroactively reinstated for 2015 and extended through the end of 2020. These credits, in addition to the Differential Wage Payment Credit, offer three ways your company can claim tax credits for employing qualifying veterans.

Returning Heroes Tax Credit

  • Short-term Unemployed: A credit of 40% of the first $6,000 of wages (up to $2,400) for employers who hire veterans who have been in receipt of unemployment insurance or compensation for at least 4 weeks or who have received assistance from a supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 for at least a three month period during the 15-month period ending on the hiring date
  • Long-term Unemployed: A credit of 40% of the first $14,000 of wages (up to $5,600) for employers who hire veterans who have been in receipt of unemployment insurance or compensation for longer than 6 months (whether or not consecutive) in the one-year period ending on the hiring date.

Wounded Warrior Tax Credit

  • Veterans with Services-Connected Disabilities: Veterans with service-connected disabilities hired within one year of being discharged from the military. The credit is 40% of the first $12,000 of wages (up to $4,800).
  • Long-Term Unemployed Veterans with Services-Connected Disabilities:A credit of 40% of the first $24,000 of wages (up to $9,600) for firms that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been in receipt of unemployment insurance or compensation for longer than 6 months.

Differential Wage Payment Credit

  • A credit of up to $4,000 for employers who pay Reserve and National Guard employees while they are away on active duty for more than 30 days and have been employed for more than 90 days. Formerly available only to small businesses in 2015, it is now permanently available to all employers.

How to file for these credits?

The deadline to file for those hired January 1, 2015, through May 31, 2016, is June 29, 2016. The forms must be filed within 28 days for those hired after May 31, 2016. Below is a list of the forms needed to file for each of these credits:

Returning Heroes

Wounded Warrior

Differential Wage Payment

PLEASE NOTE: Orion ICS, LLC, its affiliates and its employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice to any taxpayer. This content is for general information purposes only, and is not intended or written to be used without the advice of the taxpayer's independent tax advisor. Thank you for reading about tax credits for hiring veterans.

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