This week’s question comes from Donna, an HR Director. I read how we can get a payroll tax credit for hiring unemployed workers. How do we know if an employee qualifies us for the new payroll tax credit for hiring unemployed workers? Answer: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released IR-2010-033, Two New Tax Benefits Aid Employers Who Hire and Retain Unemployed Workers. In it, the IRS explains that under the HIRE Act, employers will be required to “get a statement from each eligible new hire certifying that he or she was unemployed during the 60 days before beginning work or, alternatively, worked fewer than a total of 40 hours for someone else during the 60-day period.” The IRS will provide a form that employers may use to obtain the certification from employees. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any questions on the new credits.