Information for Employers Who Want to Hire Veterans

Are you an employer looking to hire qualified veterans? 

See below for resources on best practices in hiring and retaining veterans.

• Hiring our Heroes (HOH) Employer Roadmap: A program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Hiring our Heroes Employer Roadmap is your guide to hiring veterans and military spouses
• U.S. VA Veterans Employment Toolkit: This USVA Employment Toolkit helps employers learn about Veterans and the military, such as what Veterans bring to the workplace and what the military structure and culture is like
• U.S. VA Homeless Veterans Program: Employment Toolkit: This toolkit provides resources for employers who are interested in providing opportunities to veterans who are exiting homelessness
• Employer Resources: Information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor to assist employers who want to hire veterans

Are there tax credits for hiring veterans?  What employers need to know.

A Maryland Department of Commerce Program, The Hire Our Veterans Tax Credit Program provides a state income tax credit to small businesses for hiring qualified veterans based on wages paid to those veteran employees.

BENEFITS
A Maryland employer may qualify for an income tax credit equal to 30% of up to the first $6,000 of wages paid to a qualified veteran employee during the first year of employment (i.e. a maximum of $1,800 per qualified veteran employee).​

ELIGIBILITY

Qualified Employer
A qualified employer is a “small business” operated by an individual, a partnership, a limited partnership, a limited liability partnership, a limited liability company, or a corporation that employs 50 or fewer full-time employees.

Qualified Employee

• Must have been hired on or after January 1, 2017;

AND

• Must have served in the active Armed Forces and have been discharged or released from that service under honorable circumstances. “Armed Forces” means the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, & Coast Guard, including related reserve components;

AND

• Must have served on active duty (not including training) in the Armed Forces for more than 180 days, OR have been discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability; AND not have a period of active duty (not including training) of more than 90 days that ended during the 60-day period ending on the hiring date;

AND

• Must be a Qualified Veteran for purposes of the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit, as follows:
  • Be a veteran who is a member of a family that received SNAP benefits (food stamps) for at least a 3-month period during the 15-month period ending on the hiring date;
    OR
  • Be a disabled veteran entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability, who has been hired within 1 year after discharge or release from active duty OR unemployed for at least 6 months in the year ending on the hiring date;
    OR
  • Be a veteran who has been unemployed for at least 4 weeks in the year ending on the hiring date.

LIMITATIONS

• This credit is only available for wages paid in the qualified veteran’s first year of employment.
• A qualified employer may claim up to 5 qualified veteran employees for each taxable year.
• The total amount of credits available in a year is capped at $500,000, and approvals of the tax credit certifications are on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The tax credit is not refundable.
• The tax credit cannot be carried forwards or backwards.

APPLY

What do employers need to know when employees who are currently serving are called to active duty?