Income tax; authorize a credit for taxpayers who employ persons previously incarcerated for conviction of certain crimes.

HB 578 would create a $1,000 income tax credit for Mississippi businesses that hire individuals released from incarceration for nonviolent misdemeanor or felony offenses. To qualify, businesses must employ eligible workers for at least nine months during a tax year, and the credit is limited to the business’s total income tax liability for that year. Unused credits can be carried forward for up to five years. The bill, which died in committee in February 2025, would have taken effect January 1, 2025, if enacted.