Know your people™

Work Opportunity Tax Credits

Make the most out of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program with our streamlined tax screening solutions.

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EFFICIENT TAX SCREENING

WOTC Eligibility Simplified

Under the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program, employers can receive up to $9,600 in tax credits when they recruit candidates from groups that have traditionally faced significant barriers to employment. Our WOTC solutions help you simplify the eligibility assessment process while maximizing your returns.

Reduce hiring costs and get 24% more tax credits on average with survey questions designed to maximize WOTC capture.

Replace time-consuming paper forms and manual processes with streamlined online workflows that integrate directly into your preferred ATS.

Employers receive a monthly report detailing aggregate credits for greater visibility into their WOTC program.

Our simple, mobile-compatible candidate questionnaire is completed within an average of 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

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ENHANCED TAX CAPTURE

How WOTC Credits Are
Calculated

First Advantage conducts 10 million WOTC screens annually, increasing eligibility findings by an average of 24%. Here’s how it works:

  1. The customer initiates a request through their ATS or HRIS. WOTC can be bundled with the background check for streamlined processing.
  2. Candidates receive an invitation and fill out the online eligibility questionnaire.
  3. First Advantage sends the required paperwork to state agencies, who verify eligibility.
  4. First Advantage calculates credits earned and sends a monthly aggregate credit report to the customer.
WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDITS INSIGHTS

Frequently Asked Questions

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal program that incentivizes hiring candidates from groups that have traditionally faced significant barriers to employment. Under WOTC guidelines, employers can receive up to $9,600 in tax credits when they recruit qualifying candidates.

Traditional WOTC eligibility assessment is a complex and time-consuming manual process that requires employers and candidates to fill out Form 8850 and submit it to their local state agency before the deadline in order to obtain certification. Additional forms may be required1.

Our solutions help employers streamline the WOTC eligibility management, maximize their credit capture, and provide candidates with a more positive experience through a brief online survey that can be integrated into the overall background screening process.

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Why First Advantage?

Our advanced fulfillment systems will accelerate the turnaround times on your background criminal record checks. Approximately 90% of our U.S. criminal searches utilize intelligent automation to speed up the entire employment criminal background check process of searching for court records2.

Get Started Today

Looking for ways to reduce hiring costs through the WOTC program? We can help.

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Sources:
1 IRS Work Opportunity Tax Credit
2 First Advantage as of 12/31/2025

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