A Republican bill currently being circulated for co-sponsorship by Rep. David Steffen and Sen. Rob Hutton would provide a transportation tax credit for blind employees to support Wisconsin’s workforce, according to WisBusiness.
Steffen and Hutton note in a memo sent to all state lawmakers that around 70% of blind state residents are unemployed. They assert access to affordable and reliable transportation as one of the greatest barriers to employment for people who are blind.
According to an analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the legislation would create a nonrefundable income tax credit to cover the cost of certain transportation services between the blind person’s residence and workplace. Transportation could include mass transit, taxicabs or a transportation network company, and paratransit options. The credit would equal 50% of the cost of those services for a taxable year, with a $1,500 cap for that period.
Claimants would not be able to claim a credit for amounts paid from an ABLE account if they claimed a state individual tax subtraction for funds deposited into that account.
The deadline for co-sponsorship of the bill is 5 p.m. on Friday.
