The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program is available to business owners. It provides a tax credit for hiring individuals from certain target groups who face barriers to employment.
The target groups included in this program are:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), also called Qualified IV-A recipient;
- Qualified veteran.
- Qualified ex-felon.
- Designated community resident.
- Vocational rehabilitation referral.
- Recipient of SNAP benefits (food stamps).
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient.
- Long-term family assistance recipient.
- Qualified Long-term unemployment recipient.
Subscribers to the WOTC application can submit employees to receive this tax credit.
The first time you use the WOTC application, you will have to complete the initial setup process.
Note: To setup your account for WOTC, you must have a Payroll account.
If you have a standalone Hiring and Onboarding Account, you will unfortunately not be able to use Heartland's Tax Credit services.
If you do have a Payroll account, WOTC services will be enabled automatically, and all Tax Credit services and tabs will be available. If a WOTC application is certified by the State Workforce Agency (SWA), then you will be billed directly through Heartland payroll.
Setup
The setup process requires the following steps:
- Sign the Service Agreement
- Sign Form 2848
- Set Up Notifications
Service Agreement
To view and sign the Service Agreement, follow these steps:
- Enter the Company Profile and by selecting your user name from the upper right corner, then selecting Company Profile.
- Select WOTC from the left navigation panel.
- Set Screen candidates for WOTC eligibility? to Yes.
- Review the Disclaimer and when ready select I accept.
Sign Form 2848
Before you can submit WOTC orders, you have to accept Form 2848. This form is issued by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and authorizes WOTC Orders to be performed by a designated representative. Without this form, the WOTC application is unable to process orders on your company’s behalf.
To sign and submit Form 2828:
- Log into your WOTC account, and select Tax Credits from the top navigation menu.
- Select Review and e-sign form 2848.
- Enter Form 2848 details. This information will be used to populate the official form 2828. You must check the box acknowledging that your payment method will be charged for each WOTC application.
- Enter your information required for form 5884. This form is the formal application that is used to apply for WOTC. Include your Accountant’s name and contact information. When finished, click Submit.
Set Up Notifications
You can set your notifications on how often and when your Team Members are notified of WOTC applications and updates.
To modify your company notifications:
- Select your user name from the upper right hand corner, then select Company Profile.
- Select WOTC from the left navigation panel.
- The WOTC Notifications is the list of what Team Member will be notified on updates to WOTC orders. To add a name, click the WOTC Notifications field and select a Team Member. To remove a Team Member, click the X next to their name.