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*52 million Americans (1 in 6) live in economically distressed communities.

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The principals at The Economic Innovation Group were instrumental in creating legislation that provides for Opportunity Zones within the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 

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Extended content and legislation can be found on the following websites:

Economic Innovation Group or IRS Opportunity Zone Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT ARE OPPORTUNITY ZONES?

Opportunity Zones are low-income census tracts nominated by governors and certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury into which investors can now put capital to work financing new projects and enterprises in exchange for certain federal capital gains tax advantages. *The country now has over 8,700 Opportunity Zones in every state and territory, accounting for roughly 10% of America's land mass.

 

WHAT ARE QUALIFIED OPPORTUNITY ZONE FUNDS (QOZF)?

QOZFs are private sector investment vehicles that invest at least 90 percent of their capital in Opportunity Zones. U.S. investors currently hold trillions of dollars in unrealized capital gains in stocks and mutual funds alone— a significant untapped resource for economic development. Opportunity Funds provide investors the chance to put that money to work rebuilding the nation’s left-behind communities. The fund model will enable a broad array of investors to pool their resources in Opportunity Zones, increasing the scale of investments going to underserved areas.

 

WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES THAT ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES?

 The Opportunity Zones program offers investors the following incentives for putting their capital to work in low-income communities:

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  • A temporary tax deferral for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund. The deferred gain must be recognized on the earlier of the date on which the opportunity zone investment is sold or December 31, 2026.

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  • A step-up in basis for capital gains reinvested in an Opportunity Fund. The basis of the original investment is increased by 10% if the investment in the qualified opportunity zone fund is held by the taxpayer for at least 5 years, and by an additional 5% if held for at least 7 years, excluding up to 15% of the original gain from taxation.

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  • A permanent exclusion from taxable income of capital gains from the sale or exchange of an investment in a qualified opportunity zone fund, if the investment is held for at least 10 years. (Note: this exclusion applies to the gains accrued from an investment in an Opportunity Fund, not the original gains).

 

 

* Source:  The Council of Economic Advisors Data from August of 2020

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