Changes to Veterans Target Groups in Vow to Hire Heroes Act

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President Obama signed into law the "Vow to Hire Heroes Act", which expanded the Veteran target group definition, affecting individuals who began working for an employer the day after its enactment, Nov. 22,2011 until Dec. 31, 2012.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is revising Forms 9061 and 9058 of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program. The ETA is also updating all other program-related materials to reflect changes detailed in the "Vow to Hire Heroes Act." Form 9058 is the Individual Characteristics Form and Form 9061 is the Certification Workload and Characteristics of Certified Individuals Form required of employers participating in the WOTC program.

The WOTC program is a federal tax credit incentive available to private-for-profit employers to hire targeted groups of job seekers who typically experience difficulty in finding employment. 

The Act provides employers with tax incentives of up to $5,600 for hiring veterans and up to $9,600 for hiring disabled veterans. Information about the incentives for each veteran group can be found, here. It facilitates seamless transitions for veterans into civilian life and also provides veterans with opportunities for educational and occupational skills training.

Employers are instructed to continue using the current forms until the ETA issues revised forms. Click here for further instructions regarding Forms 9061 and 9058.

For additional questions regarding the "Vow to Hire Heroes Act" and/or availability and application instructions about WOTC, contact your Business Services representative at 352.334.7100. 

Additional Resources:

United States Department of Labor

Department of Economic Opportunity

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

FloridaWorks