We wanted to make you aware of a valuable new tax credit made possible by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The credit is available to employers that provide paid family and medical leave to their employees. The amount of the credit is generally 12.5% of wages paid to an employee on leave. However, you must pay at least 50% of the wages normally paid to the employee while he or she is out on qualifying leave. The credit is increased by 0.25% (but not above 25%) for each percentage point the rate of pay is more than 50% of normal wages. So, if the leave payment rate is the same as the employee’s normal rate, a maximum credit of 25% will apply.
You must satisfy several requirements to take advantage of the credit. These include the following:
The maximum length of paid family and medical leave that can qualify for the credit is 12 weeks per employee, per tax year. Also, the total credit attributable to one employee can’t exceed the employee’s normal hourly rate for each hour (or fraction of an hour) of actual work performed multiplied by the number of hours (or fraction of an hour) family and medical leave is taken. The wages for an employee who isn’t paid an hourly wage rate are prorated to an hourly wage rate to determine the credit limit.
Assuming all of these requirements are met, the new employer credit for paid family and medical leave is a win-win situation. However, it’s only available for two years (unless extended by Congress). It’s important that you act now by reviewing your current leave policy and instituting a new policy if necessary. We can help you with that. Please contact us if you have questions or want more information on the new credit.
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