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CLIENT ALERT: Capitalizing on New Opportunity Zone Incentives to Spur Economic Development

Client Alert

Created as part of the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, “OPPORTUNITY ZONES” are designed to encourage long-term investments in underserved communities.  By offering tax benefits to private investors who choose to invest their capital at the nexus of need and opportunity, the program supports a broad array of investments and presents an opportunity for creative problem-solving strategies to address community needs.

THE PROGRAM BENEFIT

The program offers investors tiered tax benefits depending on the term of the investment, including a temporary deferral and partial reduction of capital gains, as well as the potential to exclude capital gain tax from future appreciation on the investment.  It is designed to tap into the estimated $6T+ of unrealized capital gains held by U.S. individuals and companies by incentivizing investors to re-invest that capital in low-income communities to spur economic development and job creation.

REQUIREMENTS FOR INVESTORS

In order to receive the entire 15% step-up in basis of the re-invested capital gain, which requires a full 7-year holding period prior to December 31, 2026, investors must make a qualifying investment by December 31, 2019.  Detailed regulations have been recently issued to provide new and helpful guidance.

BMD IS HERE TO HELP YOU

Our advisors have extensive experience structuring investment transactions and are uniquely positioned to help you achieve your business objectives by exploring the possibilities available to you through the Opportunity Zones. 

To learn more or to take advantage of the benefits, please contact Jason A. Butterworth or R. Kevin Saunders.  

 

 


Mandatory Filings Under CFIUS New Rules

On September 15, 2020, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) promulgated a final rule modifying its mandatory declaration requirements for certain foreign investment transactions involving “TID US businesses” (sensitive U.S. businesses dealing in critical technologies, critical infrastructure and sensitive personal data) dealing in “critical technologies” – i.e., U.S. businesses that produce, design, test, manufacture, fabricate, or develop one or more critical technologies. The new rule also makes amendments to the definition of the term “substantial interest” (used to determine whether a foreign government has a substantial interest in an entity). The final rule became effective on October 15, 2020.

IRS Guidance on Employee Retention Credit

The Employee Retention Credit created under Section 2302 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes equal to 50 percent of the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees after March 12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. Since the adoption of the CARES Act, employers have expressed concern that if one employer acquires another employer that previously received a PPP loan, the acquirer’s entire aggregated group may no longer be eligible to claim the Employee Retention Credit.

International Sales Contracts - COVID-19 Pandemic and Force Majeure

Identity Protection PIN Available to ALL Taxpayers in January

Beginning in January 2021, the IRS will allow all taxpayers who can properly verify his/her identity to obtain an Identity Protection PIN. An Identity Protection PIN (“IP PIN”) is a six digit number assigned to a specific taxpayer to assist in preventing the misuse of a taxpayer’s social security number on fraudulent federal tax returns. Previously, only confirmed victims of identity theft who resolved his/her tax issues with the IRS were eligible for an IP PIN.

Updates for Employers Regarding Medical Marijuana

In 2020, the momentum for marijuana legalization and decriminalization continued. In the November elections, five more states legalized either medical marijuana, recreational marijuana, or both. Although marijuana remains illegal in any form under federal law, just last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to decriminalize marijuana usage at the federal level. It's unlikely that the Senate will approve of that, but it is another milestone in what has been a rapidly shifting landscape over the last decade. Given the patchwork of state laws regarding medical and recreational marijuana, widely varied approaches for workplace protections, and the total federal ban, it can be difficult for employers to know how to deal with this issue.