VetCredit WOTC Analyzer

⚠️

WOTC PROGRAM STATUS: 2026 HIATUS — ACTION REQUIRED

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit expired December 31, 2025 and is currently in a legislative hiatus. As of January 1, 2026, new certifications for hires with a 2026 start date are paused pending Congressional reauthorization.

What this means for hires made before December 31, 2025: If Form 8850 was submitted to your State Workforce Agency within 28 days of the hire date, your application is still being processed. Certifications will be issued in 2026 and credits remain claimable.

What this means for hires made on or after January 1, 2026: Continue screening and submitting forms within the 28-day window. WOTC has been retroactively reinstated multiple times — employers who maintain compliant documentation during the hiatus will be positioned to claim credits if Congress reauthorizes the program retroactively.

🔑 Critical rule during hiatus: The 28-day filing deadline still applies. If you miss it during the hiatus and the program is later renewed retroactively, those credits are permanently forfeited. Keep screening. Keep filing. Monitor IRS WOTC page for reauthorization updates.

What is WOTC? The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire individuals from certain target groups — including veterans. Credits range from $2,400 to $9,600 per qualifying veteran hire and directly reduce your federal income tax liability. Despite this, the majority of SMB employers either don't know about WOTC or miss the 28-day filing window. This tool helps you screen hires, document eligibility, and recover unclaimed credits — and keep your process compliant during the current hiatus so you don't forfeit future credits.

Veteran WOTC Categories — Credit Amounts

Critical Rules Every Employer Must Know

⚠ The 28-Day Rule
IRS Form 8850 must be submitted to your State Workforce Agency (SWA) within 28 days of the veteran's first day of work. Missing this window means losing the credit entirely — no exceptions.

⚠ Hours Worked Matter
The veteran must work at least 120 hours for a partial credit (25%) or 400 hours for the full credit (40% of first-year wages). Part-time hires may still qualify at a reduced rate.

📋 Two Forms Required
IRS Form 8850 — Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request. Submitted to your SWA within 28 days of hire.
ETA Form 9061 — Individual Characteristics Form. Submitted alongside Form 8850 to document qualifying status.

✓ Louisiana Submission
Submit to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) — WOTC Unit. Address: 1001 North 23rd St, Baton Rouge, LA 70804. Phone: (225) 342-3111. Processing typically takes 4–12 weeks. Credits apply to federal tax return for the year wages were paid.

Maximum Credit Potential Calculator

Number of Veteran Hires (This Year)

Expected Average Category

Enter the veteran's information below. The screener will identify which WOTC categories they qualify for, calculate the estimated credit value, and flag whether you are within the 28-day submission window.

⚠️

2026 HIATUS — CONTINUE SCREENING AND FILING

WOTC is currently in hiatus for hires with a 2026 start date. However, you should continue completing Form 8850 and submitting to the LWC within 28 days. If Congress reauthorizes WOTC retroactively — as it has done multiple times historically — only employers who filed on time will be eligible to claim credits. Missing the 28-day window during a hiatus permanently forfeits those credits even after reauthorization.

Employer Information

Company Name

Employer EIN

Contact Name

State

Veteran Employee Information

Veteran First Name

Veteran Last Name

Date of Hire (First Day of Work)

Position / Job Title

Estimated Annual Wage

Branch of Service

Discharge Date (DD-214)

MOS / Rate / AFSC (optional)

Qualifying Status Checklist

Check ALL that apply to this veteran. Multiple qualifications = highest applicable credit category.

Recently Separated — Discharged or released from active duty within the past 12 months Service-Connected Disability — Has a VA-rated service-connected disability Unemployed 4–6 Weeks — Received unemployment compensation for at least 4 weeks in the year before hire Unemployed 6+ Months — Received unemployment compensation for at least 6 months in the year before hire Disabled + Unemployed 6+ Mo — Has service-connected disability AND was unemployed 6+ months before hire (MAX credit) SNAP Recipient — Member of family receiving SNAP (food stamps) benefits (qualifies as non-veteran WOTC)

⚠️

WOTC 2026 HIATUS — LOOKBACK RECOVERY CONTEXT

WOTC expired December 31, 2025. Before using this lookback tool, understand what is and is not recoverable. The distinction is critical — misrepresenting recoverability to clients is a credibility risk.

This tool identifies potential unclaimed credits. Recovery eligibility depends entirely on whether Form 8850 was submitted on time. Your CPA determines what is actually claimable via amended returns.

✓ SCENARIO A — Forms submitted on time, credits never claimed on taxes (RECOVERABLE)

This is the primary lookback opportunity. An employer submitted Form 8850 and ETA 9061 to the LWC within 28 days of each veteran hire. The LWC issued a certification. But the employer's CPA was never told, and the credit was never claimed on the federal tax return. These credits are recoverable through amended returns (Form 1040-X or 1120-X) for each applicable tax year. Taxable employers may carry unused WOTC back one year and forward up to 20 years.

✗ SCENARIO B — Form 8850 was never submitted within 28 days (NOT RECOVERABLE)

If the employer hired veterans but never submitted Form 8850 to the LWC within 28 calendar days of each hire's start date, those credits are permanently forfeited. There is no late-filing exception, good-cause waiver, or amended return process that recovers missed 28-day submissions under normal program operation. The only historical exception was a Congressional transition relief period during the 2014–2015 lapse, which was a one-time Congressional action — not a standard process and not guaranteed to repeat.

→ THE LOOKBACK AUDIT PROCESS — What MissionReady HR Does

Step 1: Pull all veteran hire records for the lookback window.
Step 2: Identify which hires had Form 8850 submitted to LWC within 28 days.
Step 3: Request LWC certification letters for those submissions.
Step 4: Calculate unclaimed credit value on certified-but-never-claimed hires.
Step 5: Refer to CPA for amended return filing (Form 5884 + 1040-X or 1120-X).
Step 6: Implement VetCredit going forward so no future hire falls through the 28-day window.

Lookback Setup

Company Name

Lookback Window

Add Past Veteran Hires

Enter each veteran hired during your lookback window. Be as complete as possible — the more information you provide, the more accurate the credit estimate.

⚠ Legal Disclaimer: This is a pre-fill reference tool to help you prepare Form 8850 data. The actual IRS Form 8850 must be obtained from irs.gov or your State Workforce Agency. This tool does not constitute legal or tax advice. All submissions must be made by the employer or their authorized representative. Submit within 28 days of hire.

Form 8850 Data Entry

Fill in the fields below. Click "Generate Form Preview" to see a printable pre-filled reference document.

Section A — Job Applicant / New Employee Information

First Name

Last Name

Social Security Number

Date of Birth

Street Address

City

State

ZIP Code

County

Telephone Number

Email Address

Date Offered Job

Date Started Job (Hire Date)

Section B — Veteran Qualifying Conditions

Veteran — member of family receiving SNAP benefits for 3-month period in last 15 months Recently separated veteran (discharged in last 12 months) Disabled veteran with service-connected disability rated by VA Veteran unemployed for at least 4 weeks but less than 6 months Veteran unemployed for at least 6 months in the year before being hired Disabled veteran entitled to compensation AND unemployed 6+ months

Section C — Employer Information

Employer Name

EIN

Employer Address

Nature of Business

Contact Person

Phone Number

Submission Instructions

Louisiana (LWC)

Louisiana Workforce Commission
WOTC Unit
1001 North 23rd Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Phone: (225) 342-3111
Email: wotc.lwc@la.gov
Fax: (225) 342-3190

Other States

Each state has its own SWA WOTC unit. Find your state's contact at:
dol.gov/agencies/eta/wotc

Also submit ETA Form 9061 (Individual Characteristics Form) alongside Form 8850. Both forms must be submitted together.

Credit Pipeline Summary

Pipeline Stages

All Tracked Hires

Veteran Name	Employer	Hire Date	Category	Est. Credit	28-Day Deadline	Status	Action
No hires tracked yet. Use "Screen a Hire" to add veterans to your pipeline.

⚠ Required Alongside Form 8850: ETA Form 9061 (Individual Characteristics Form) must be submitted to your State Workforce Agency at the same time as IRS Form 8850 — within 28 days of the employee's first day of work. This tool pre-fills your reference data. Obtain the official form at dol.gov/agencies/eta/wotc. OMB Control No. 1205-0371 · Expiration: May 31, 2026.

Boxes 3–5 — Employer Information

3. Employer Name

4. Employer Mailing Address

4. Employer Telephone No.

4. Employer Email Address

5. Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Boxes 6–11 — Job Applicant Information

6. Applicant Last Name

6. First Name

6. Middle Initial

7. Social Security Number

8. Previously Worked for This Employer?

9. Employment Start Date

10. Starting Wage

11. Job Position / Title or SOC Code

Box 22 — Supporting Documentation

List all supporting documentation submitted to the SWA. Mark each as Attached (A) or Forthcoming (F). For veteran hires, DD-214 and/or VA documentation is the primary evidence.

DD-214 / Discharge Papers VA Disability Letter / Compensation Documentation UI Claims Records / UI Wage Records (unemployment documentation) SNAP / Food Stamp Benefit History or Case Number TANF Benefit History or Case Number SSI Record or Authorization / Evidence of SSI Benefits Self-Attestation Form ETA-9175 (long-term unemployment) Other Documentation (describe below)

Additional Documentation Notes

Boxes 23–24 — Certification and Signature

23(b). Who is Signing This Form?

24. Date Form Completed

Applicant Referred By (if applicable)

The person completing this form must sign the official ETA Form 9061. Signature certifies the information is true and correct. The completed form and supporting documentation are subject to verification by the State Workforce Agency. Do not sign this pre-fill worksheet — sign only the official government form.

Required Documentation by Veteran Category

All Veteran Categories

• DD-214 or Discharge Papers
• Reserve Unit Contacts (if applicable)
• Letter of Separation on DVA letterhead

Service-Connected Disability

• DVA letter certifying disability on DVA letterhead
• Signed by the individual who verified the information

Unemployed Veteran Categories

• UI Claims Records or UI Wage Records
• Self-Attestation Form ETA-9175

SNAP Recipient Veteran