News

Cleaning Tax Credit Introduced in House of Representatives

ISSA thanks Representative Stephanie Murphy (FL-7-D) and Representative Darin LaHood (IL-18-R) for introducing the bipartisan Clean Start: Back to Work Tax Credit Act (H.R. 883) in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2021. This important legislation would provide a tax credit for businesses to help ensure they are properly cleaned and disinfected to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and other infections, as well as to safely reopen our economy.

The Clean Start: Back to Work Tax Credit Act would create a US$250,000 tax credit to help defray the unforeseen and increased cleaning costs associated with fighting the novel coronavirus. The credit would be temporary and could be used to help offset the costs of professional cleaning services, purchasing cleaning products and sanitary-related equipment, as well as training workers on proper cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Qualified expenses also would include personal protective equipment (PPE), which is critical to protecting employees and the public.

A Clean Start tax credit would allow businesses to maintain a safer and more sanitary environment for workers and customers alike. According to the National Safety Council, employers have spent $5,208 per employee on various workplace safety practices since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This tax credit would ensure businesses and nonprofits already struggling financially could cover a portion of these critical, yet unexpected expenses related to COVID-19.

In a recent survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers, consumers ranked frequent cleaning and sanitizing as the top (66%) measure that would make them more likely or more comfortable with visiting physical spaces. It was followed by having more hand sanitizer stations and/or disinfecting cloths available for shoppers (62%), seeing staff wear gloves and/or masks (49%), requiring staff/employee training on hygienic protocols (48%), implementing measures that facilitate in-store social distance (48%), and putting in place new occupancy limits (44%).

Once people enter a building, there is a risk of virus spread. This tax credit could be applied toward the costs associated with maintaining healthy and safe conditions. Accordingly, more than 50 trade associations representing a cross section of the economy have endorsed the Clean Start tax credit.

“We thank Representatives Murphy and LaHood for their strong support of this commonsense legislation to help provide a healthy and safe environment for workers and customers,” said ISSA Executive Director John H. Barrett. “ISSA looks forward to continuing to work with members of the House and Senate to pass a bipartisan COVID-19 relief package that includes the Clean Start tax credit to help our economy reopen safely and restore the confidence of workers, customers, and the American public.”

ISSA is working diligently to support the full spectrum of the cleaning industry in the U.S. and around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing a variety of government affairs resources. To learn more about the U.S. federal response to COVID-19, register for ISSA’s virtual 2021 Clean Advocacy Summit, March 30-31, as part of National Cleaning Week. For questions regarding ISSA advocacy, including the Clean Start tax credit, please contact ISSA Director of Government Affairs John Nothdurft.