Monday, April 12, 2010

HIRE Act Employee Affidavit Form (W-11) Now Available

The IRS just posted a new form--W-11, Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act Employee Affidavit--along with answers to frequently-asked questions about the HIRE Act.

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 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, businesses will also be eligible for a general business tax credit, referred to as the new hire retention 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.

The IRS explained in an alert issued on 4/7/2010 that the new law requires "employers get a statement from each eligible new hire, certifying under penalties of perjury, that he or she was unemployed during the 60 days before beginning work or, alternatively, worked fewer than a total of 40 hours for anyone during the 60-day period.  Employers can use Form W-11 to meet this requirement."