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Area Development

Florida Direct Financial Incentives 2011

Florida's economic development, finance, and tax organizations provide a range of incentive programs to initiate new business and commercial investment. Specific programs include Qualified Target Industry Tax Refunds, the Florida Recycling Loan Program, and private activity bonds.

March 2011
Targeted Industry Incentives:
Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund (QTI)
The Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund incentive is available for companies that create high wage jobs in targeted high value-added industries. This incentive includes refunds on corporate income, sales, ad valorem, intangible personal property, insurance premium, and certain other taxes.

Qualified Defense and Space Contractor Tax Refund (QDSC)
Florida is committed to preserving and growing its high technology employment base by giving Florida defense, homeland security, and space business contractors a competitive edge in consolidating contracts or subcontracts, acquiring new contracts, or converting contracts to commercial production. Pre-approved applicants creating or retaining jobs in Florida may receive tax refunds.

Capital Investment Tax Credit (CITC)
The Capital Investment Tax Credit is used to attract and grow capital-intensive industries in Florida. It is an annual credit provided for up to 20 years against the corporate income tax. Eligible projects are those in designated high-impact portions of the following sectors: clean energy, biomedical technology, financial services, information technology, silicon technology, transportation equipment manufacturing, or be a corporate headquarters facility. Projects must also create a minimum of 100 jobs and invest at least $25 million in eligible capital costs.

High Impact Performance Incentive Grant (HIPI)
The High Impact Performance Incentive is a negotiated grant used to attract and grow major high impact facilities in Florida. In order to participate in the program, the project must: operate within designated high-impact portions of the following sectors-- clean energy, corporate headquarters, financial services, life sciences, semiconductors, and transportation equipment manufacturing; create at least 50 new full-time equivalent jobs (if a R&D facility, create at least 25 new full-time equivalent jobs) in Florida in a three-year period; and make a cumulative investment in the state of at least $50 million (if a R&D facility, make a cumulative investment of at least $25 million) in a three-year period.

Work Force Training Incentives:
Quick Response Training Program (QRT)
Quick Response Training (QRT) - an employer-driven training program designed to assist new value-added businesses and provide existing Florida businesses the necessary training for expansion. A state educational facility - community college, area technical center, school district or university - is available to assist with application and program development or delivery. Reimbursable training expenses include: instructors'/trainers' wages, curriculum development, and textbooks/manuals. This program is customized, flexible, and responsive to individual company needs.

Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWT)
Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) is a program that provides training to currently employed workers to keep Florida's workforce competitive in a global economy and to retain existing businesses. The program is available to all Florida businesses that have been in operation for at least one year prior to application and require skills upgrade training for existing employees.

Infrastructure Incentive:
Economic Development Transportation Fund
The Economic Development Transportation Fund, commonly referred to as the "Road Fund," is an incentive tool designed to alleviate transportation problems that adversely impact a specific company's location or expansion decision. The award amount is based on the number of new and retained jobs and the eligible transportation project costs, up to $3 million. The award is made to the local government on behalf of a specific business for public transportation improvements.

Special Opportunity Incentives:
Rural Incentives: Florida encourages growth throughout the state by offering increased incentive awards and lower wage qualification thresholds in its rural counties. Additionally, a Rural Community Development Revolving Loan Fund and Rural Infrastructure Fund exist to meet the special needs that businesses encounter in rural counties.

Urban Incentives:
Florida offers increased incentive awards and lower wage qualification thresholds for businesses locating in many urban core/inner city areas that are experiencing conditions affecting the economic viability of the community and hampering the self-sufficiency of the residents.

Enterprise Zone Incentives:
Florida offers an assortment of tax incentives to businesses that choose to create employment within an enterprise zone, which is a specific geographic area targeted for economic revitalization. These include a sales and use tax credit, tax refund for business machinery and equipment used in an enterprise zone, sales tax refund for building materials used in an Enterprise Zone, and a sales tax exemption for electrical energy used in an enterprise zone.

Brownfield Incentives:
Florida offers incentives to businesses that locate in brownfield sites, which are underutilized industrial or commercial sites due to actual or perceived environmental contamination. The Brownfield Redevelopment Bonus Refund is available to encourage Brownfield redevelopment and job creation. Approved applicants receive tax refunds of up to $2,500 for each job created.

Jobs for the Unemployed Tax Credit Program (JUTC)
The Jobs for the Unemployed Tax Credit Program provides incentives to businesses throughout Florida to hire qualified employees who were previously unemployed. The program is available to all businesses that are identified as a "target industry". The business may receive a tax credit of $1,000 for every employee hired as of July 1, 2010.

Local Government Distressed Area Matching Grant Program (LDMG)
The Local Government Distressed Area Matching Grant Program stimulates investment in Florida's economy by assisting Local Governments in attracting and retaining targeted businesses. These targeted businesses are required to create at least 15 full-time jobs and the project must either be new to Florida; expanding operations in Florida; or leaving Florida unless it receives local and state government assistance.

Manufacturing and Spaceport Investment Incentive Program (MSII)
The Manufacturing and Spaceport Investment Incentive Program encourages capital investment and job creation in manufacturing and spaceport activities in Florida. Applications are accepted by eligible businesses from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012. A tax refund up to $50,000 will be given on the State Sales and Use Tax paid for eligible equipment purchases. Purchase cost must exceed a business' total expenditures on eligible equipment purchased and placed into service in this state during the 2008 tax year.

Florida State Contact:
Enterprise Florida, Inc.
800 North Magnolia Ave., Suite 1100
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 956-5600
Fax: (407) 956-5599

Incentive and tax information is provided to Area Development by each state's economic development or commerce agency for information purposes only and is subject to revision at any time by the state government. Please contact the state agency directly for full requirements and offerings.

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