Urban Job Tax Credit Program

The Florida Legislature created the Urban Job Tax Credit Program in 1997 to encourage the creation of jobs in urban areas of Florida (section 212.097, Florida Statutes). The Program provides tax credits to eligible businesses that are located within the 13 Urban Areas designated by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED) and hire a specific number of employees. In the Tallahassee Urban Area, the credit is $1,000 per qualified job and can be taken against either the Florida Corporate Income Tax or the Florida Sales and Use Tax, but not both.

A total of $5 million of tax credits may be approved under the Urban Job Tax Credit Program each calendar year. One million dollars of tax credits will be exclusively reserved for businesses located within Tier One designated areas.

Eligible businesses:

• May include sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations
Are physically located within designated urban job tax credit areas
• Business located within the designated Tallahassee area must create a minimum of 20 qualified positions (new business) or a minimum of 10 more additional qualified positions than the previous year (existing businesses).
• Must be predominately engaged in (or headquarters for) activities classified in one of the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes:

• SIC 01-09 Agriculture; Forestry; and Fishing
• SIC 20-39 Manufacturing
• SIC 52-57 Retail: General Merchandise, Food, Auto, Apparel, Home Furnishings, etc.
• SIC 59 Miscellaneous Retail (No Eating/Drinking Establishments)
• SIC 70 Hotels and Other Lodging Places
• SIC 422 Public Warehousing and Storage
• SIC 7391 Research and Development
• SIC 7992 Public Golf Courses
• SIC 7996 Amusement Parks
• Call Centers Call Center Customer Service Center (serving a multistate or international market)

If the above eligibility requirements are met, the business would be qualify for tax credits against either the Florida Corporate Income Tax or the Florida Sales and Use Tax (but not both) of $1,000 per qualified job.

DEFINITIONS

• Qualified employees are those who work in a regular, full-time position (averaging at least 36 hours per week).
• Qualified Employees must be employed for at least 3 months and must be employed on the date of the tax credit application.
• Employees leased from an employee leasing company licensed under chapter 468, F.S., are eligible if such employees have continuously been leased to the employer for more than 6 months.
• An owner or partner of the eligible business is not a qualified employee.
• A "New Business" is any eligible business in its first year of operation in a designated urban job tax credit area.
• An "Existing Business" is one that has been in operation for more than one year in a designated urban job tax credit area. Existing businesses may only apply for an urban job tax credit once per year.

Reference map of eligible locations within Tallahassee

Detailed map of eligible locations within Tallahassee

For additional information contact the City of Tallahassee Redevelopment Agency (850) 891-8685.