Incentives for Hiring People who are Blind or Visually Impaired

If you hire a qualified person who is blind or visually impaired, you win by having a qualified employee. But, you may also be able to take advantage of one of the financial incentives that are available for businesses that hire people with disabilities. Below is a brief description of each financial incentive.

ADA Small Business Tax Credit

Businesses with 30 or fewer employees or $1,000,000 or less per year in total revenue can receive a tax credit for the cost of accommodations provided to an employee (or customer) with a disability. This credit covers 50% of eligible expenditures up to $10,000 (maximum credit per year of $5000). For additional information, contact the Internal Revenue Service.

Voice: 800-829-1040; TDD: 800-829-4059

Publications (request publications 535 and 334 which cover ADA deductions & credits) - Voice: 800-829-3676; TDD: 800-829-4059

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

WOTC is available to employers for hiring individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Employers can receive a tax credit of up to $2,400 per individual hired. Many people with disabilities meet the criteria for WOTC, including all recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and all clients of state vocational rehabilitation agencies.

Welfare-to-Work (WtW)Tax Credit

If a person with a disability is a recipient of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) at the time of hire, the employer can receive a federal tax credit for up $8,500 per individual hired.

Additional information on these tax credits can be obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wotc. WOTC state and regional contacts can be found at:https://wdr.doleta.gov/contacts/

WOTC and WtW tax credit request forms and state contact information can also be obtained by calling 877-828-2050 (a toll-free number). This Fax-On-Demand service allows access to WOTC/WtW request forms via Fax by using a touch-tone telephone or a fax machine. Up to two documents may be requested per call. Once you call this service, simply follow the instructions and enter the document number (listed below) that corresponds to the form or information needed.

The Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction

The Architectural/Transportation Tax Deduction, IRS Code, Section 190, Barrier Removal, is often viewed as being specific to making businesses wheelchair-accessible. However, the credit can help businesses to remove physical barriers for people who are blind, for example, by adding braille and large print signage.

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