What DeKalb can offer you

In addition to assigning a full-time senior project manager to life sciences ... providing assistance with site location and permitting … facilitating financing … and connecting you with a qualified workforce, DeKalb County offers numerous incentives to make your move to DeKalb easier. Some examples:

Enterprise Zones: Qualified enterprises (i.e., located within eligible census blocks) that create at least five jobs may be eligible for a reduction in property taxes over a 10-year period. You may also qualify for funds to cover the cost of fees associated with developing an Enterprise Zone (through DeKalb’s Economic Development Enterprise Fund).

Tax Allocation Districts: In some cases, DeKalb may be able to establish Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) to pay for infrastructure improvements in areas of new development. TADs enable the county to leverage future property tax revenues from new development to offer bonds; the bonds then pay for infrastructure improvements. Debt from the bonds is retired over time.

Two-year expansion tax credit: You may receive an exemption of up to 40 percent of the fair market value of an existing building for two years if you decide to expand that building.

No impact fees: Unlike many counties, DeKalb does not charge impact fees for new development projects.

Freeport exemption: If your company has an inventory in one of the following three categories, you may enjoy a 100 percent exemption on your local option tax: raw materials, goods in the process of manufacture, finished products destined for sale outside Georgia (but still in possession of the original manufacturer).