Biden Introduces Tax Credit to Provide COVID-19 Vaccine PTO
The IRS posted instructions on how employers with fewer than 500 employees can be reimbursed for the cost of providing paid leave for COVID vaccinations.
"No working American should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they choose to fulfill their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated," President Biden said Wednesday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the availability of new tax credits to help small and medium-sized businesses provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a speech, Biden referenced the availability of IRS instructions on how employers with fewer than 500 employees can be reimbursed for the cost of providing paid leave for vaccinations. He unveiled the program to address the issue of American workers feeling that they can’t afford to take the time off to get vaccinated or lose a day of work because they aren’t feeling well after the shot.
“I’m calling on every employer, large and small, in every state to give employees the time off they need with pay to get vaccinated,” he said. “And anytime they need with pay to recover if they’re feeling under the weather after the shot.”
“No working American should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they choose to fulfill their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated,” the president added.
For the second and third quarters of 2021, businesses may take tax credits for wages up to 80 hours of paid sick leave in an amount equal to either:
- the employee’s regular wage, capped at $511/day, up to a total of $5,110 if the employee was sick or quarantining, awaiting the results of a COVID test, obtaining or recovering from a vaccine
- two-thirds of the employee’s regular wage, capped at $200/day, up to a total of $2,000, if the employee was taking time to care for someone quarantining or to provide care due to COVID-19 school or child care provider closures
White House officials also said Wednesday that 43% percent of working adults have received the vaccine to date. Overall, more than 133 million Americans, or more than half of the adult population, have received at least one shot.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
About the Author
Rodney Bosch, Senior Editor
Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
