Ritter signs disabled employee tax credit bill
Published June 5, 2008 by CSBJ Staff
Gov. Bill Ritter signed a bill this morning that grants tax credits to employers who hire developmentally disabled employees.
The bill, HB1127, is part of a three-year pilot program in El Paso, Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Logan, Montrose and Morgan counties.
Beginning January 1, an employer may claim 50 percent of the first three months of a qualified employee’s gross wages, and 30 percent for the next nine months.
Co-sponsor Rep. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs, said that many people in the developmentally disabled community are willing and able to work and are loyal and dedicated employees.
The unemployment rate in the developmentally disabled community is more than 75 percent. When business owners become aware of the tax credits, he said, the rate should drop.
“It’s not going to solve world peace, hunger or our water issues,” Liston said, “but it’s good for the business community, taxpayers and for the individuals who are employed.”
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