Georgia Enterprise Zone Program

Georgia Department of Community Affairs

Program Type:

Tax Incentive

Eligible Geography:

Georgia

Program URL:

https://dca.ga.gov/community-economic-development/incentive-programs/enterprise-zones

Summary:

The State Enterprise Zone program intends to improve geographic areas within cities and counties that are suffering from disinvestment, underdevelopment, and economic decline, encouraging private businesses to reinvest and rehabilitate such areas. Its objective is to encourage economic development and business expansion for underdeveloped areas in Georgia. Incentives include: local property tax exemption, local abatement or reduction in occupation taxes, regulatory fees, building inspection fees, and other fees that would otherwise be imposed on qualifying business.

Eligible Recipients:

For-Profit Business

Eligible Recipients Detail:

For-Profit qualifying businesses located in Enterprise Zones. A qualifying business or service enterprise is an enterprise which increased employment by five or more new full-time job equivalents in an area designated as an enterprise zone and which provides additional economic stimulus in such zone. Such business or service enterprise may be new, an expansion or reinvestment of an existing business or service enterprise, or a successor to such business or service enterprise. Whenever possible, 10 percent of such new employees shall be low-income or moderate-income individuals.

Eligible Purpose:

Last Mile Infrastructure

Eligible Purpose Detail:

Tax exemptions and abatements are available for all qualified investments, improvements, hires.

Other Eligibility Criteria:

An area must meet at least three of five criteria to be designated as an Enterprise Zone area by a county:

-Pervasive poverty established using the most current United States decennial census prepared by the U. S. Bureau of Census .
-Unemployment Rate (average for preceding yr.) at least 10% higher than State or significant job dislocation.
-Underdevelopment evidenced by lack of building permits, licenses, land disturbance permits, etc. lower than development activity within local body's jurisdiction.
-General distress and adverse conditions (population decline, health and safety issues etc.).
-General Blight evidenced by the inclusion of any portion of the nominated area in an urban redevelopment area.

Funding Match/Terms:

X