COtax_creditpct_of_payroll

Colorado Works Program Employer Credit

CO-WORKS-EMP · Colorado

Summary

Colorado state income tax credit equal to 20% of eligible expenses incurred by an employer for an employee who is, or has recently been, receiving benefits under the Colorado Works program (Colorado's TANF). Eligible expenses include: child care services, health insurance, dental insurance, job training, education, and transportation to and from work. The credit's practical effectiveness is limited because employees often exceed Colorado Works income limits once the employer-provided benefits begin.

Benefit

Percentage
20% of payroll
Flat
Duration
Max annual
(taxpayer)
Max total
(taxpayer)
Carryforward

Program metadata

Distribution
taxpayer_earned
Claimant subject
business
Refund/transfer election
none
Program family
Effective
Sunset
Application deadline
Transfer discount

Hard requirements (1)

  • local_approval_requiredEmployer must attest that an employee is, or has recently been, receiving Colorado Works (TANF) benefits, and that the eligible expenses claimed (childcare, health/dental, job training, education, transportation) are properly documented.

Preference / tiering rules (0)

None.

NAICS industries (0)

Any.

Geo zones (1)

  • statewide · Colorado Statewide

Tags (2)

  • eligible_expense_categories: child_care,health_insurance,dental,training,education,transportation
  • employee_eligibility: colorado_works_tanf_recipient

Approval requirements (1)

  • requiredCO CDOR — Colorado Works Program employer attestationEmployer attestation: employee CO Works status + eligible-expense documentation.

Source

https://tax.colorado.gov/sites/tax/files/Income%2034.pdf
§ 39-22-521, C.R.S. (Income 34)
Last verified: 2026-04-30
CO-statewide. Employer-side credit. Targeted at CO Works (TANF) participants. Source URL is CDOR Income Tax Topics PDF (Income 34) — fetched only via WebSearch + state legislative review document, not directly. Re-verify rate/eligibility on production-seed pass.