COVID-19 Vaccinations Mean A More Productive Workforce And A Tax Credit For Business Owners

The good news is that more than 29 percent of the population of Maryland and more than a quarter of the population of the District of Columbia is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  The better news is that both Maryland and DC still have plenty of vaccine doses left to distribute.  One out of every four doses in DC has yet to be administered, as well as almost one out of every five in Maryland.  What is stopping the people who have not yet gotten the vaccine?  Some people have chosen to forgo the vaccine for religious reasons or because they have a medical condition for which it is contraindicated, but those groups do not account for half of the total population.  Some people intend to get vaccinated, but now that they are back to work after months of their employers telling them to stay away, they cannot afford to miss a day of work, which many would have to do to get vaccinated.  To encourage vaccination, especially among young and middle-aged working people, the federal government is offering a tax incentive to businesses that give their employees paid leave when getting a COVID-19 vaccine.  A Washington DC small business law attorney can help you claim the paid leave for vaccinations tax credit and otherwise help your business adapt to the long-term effects of the pandemic.

The American Rescue Plan Pays Businesses to Provide Paid Time Off

An essential feature of the government’s response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to provide incentives to small business owners to keep their workers employed.  These initiatives include everything from the employee retention tax credit to forgivable loans issued through the Paycheck Protection Program.  Now the American Rescue Plan contains a provision aimed at helping small businesses operate with fully vaccinated personnel.

Specifically, the government is offering small businesses a $511 tax credit for each day of paid time off they provide to workers who are getting a COVID-19 vaccine.  The maximum number of paid days off per worker the business can claim is ten.  Most COVID-19 vaccines require two doses, which would mean that each worker would need to miss two non-consecutive days of work.  Some people experience side effects such as fever and fatigue after receiving the vaccine, and if they chose to take one or more days off to recover from getting the vaccine, they could get paid time off for those days.

Providing paid time off for employees can help your workplace thrive; it is good for employees’ health and morale.  Tax credits like these can make it more affordable for small businesses to provide paid time off.

Let Us Help You Today

The DC area is ready to get back to work for a summer of productivity now that a lot of people have been vaccinated.  Working closely with a small business lawyer is a great way to run your company in ways that benefit the employees without going over budget.  Contact Tobin O’Connor Concino P.C. for help.

Resource:

yahoo.com/huffpost/biden-covid-19-vaccine-tax-credit-160104759.html