Skip to Content
IRS Whistleblowers, click here to contact the Ways & Means Committee about waste, fraud, and abuse.

Ways and Means Healthy Workplace Tax Credit Gains Bicameral Support

July 20, 2020 — Blog    — Coronavirus Bulletin   

Last week, Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) introduced legislation that would create a Healthy Workplace Tax Credit.

The Healthy Workplace Tax Credit will help businesses reopen safely and restore worker and customer confidence. Here’s how:

  • Encourages and enables businesses to take the recommended steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their workplaces.
  • Provides a refundable tax credit against payroll taxes for 50% of the costs incurred by the business for COVID-19 testing, personal protection equipment (PPE), disinfecting, extra cleaning, and reconfiguring workspaces.
  • Is limited to $1,000 per employee for a business’s first 500 employees, $750 per employees for the next 500 employees, and $500 for each employee thereafter.

As Rep. Rice explained in an op-ed for The Hill, ”by making it easier for everyday Americans to observe basic safety precautions, we can prevent people from contracting coronavirus while growing worker and customer confidence.”

“No one should feel ‘exposed’ or ‘in danger’ while going about daily life,” Rep. Rice said.

The proposal gained immediate traction from advocacy groups nationwide. From manufacturers to restaurant owners, leaders said this legislation would keep our economy open and our workers safe.

The legislation gained bicameral support today, with accompanying legislation introduced by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH).

“A successful reopening of our economy is dependent on both employees and consumers feeling comfortable going back and this tax credit will help make that happen,” Sen. Portman said. “I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this tax credit to ensure the successful reopening of our economy.”

CLICK HERE to learn more about how Republicans are working to help Americans return to work safely while continuing to apply pressure on the coronavirus.

Want to read more on the fight against Coronavirus? Read our Coronavirus Bulletin here which contains our extensive FAQ about recent federal actions.

Was this message forwarded to you? CLICK HERE to subscribe to our emails. 

SUBCOMMITTEE: Tax