1. $4,000 Georgia Job Tax Credit for 2022 Available for Eligible Athens-Clarke County Businesses

Any business located within Athens-Clarke County that created at least two new net full-time jobs in the past tax year may be eligible for a $4,000 per job tax credit through the Georgia Job Tax Credit Program (JTC).

The credit can be taken for five years beginning with tax year 2022 when the jobs were created and for the four immediately succeeding taxable years.

The jobs must be newly-created within this 2022 tax year, require a minimum of 35 hours worked per week, offer health insurance upon employment, and pay an average wage of at least $602/week or $31,304/year.

To claim the credit, complete the IT-CA 2012 Georgia Job Tax Credit Form linked below and attach it to the Georgia Income Tax Return for your business when you submit it to the state.

Note that Athens-Clarke County was classified as a Tier 1 county ($3,500 tax credit) for 2022 and participates in a Joint Development Authority (JDA - $500 bonus tax credit), so the available tax credit is $4,000 per eligible job created.

IT-CA 2012 Georgia Job Tax Credit Form (on ACCGov website)
Overview of the Georgia Job Tax Credit Program (on the GA Department of Community Affairs website - direct link: www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/job_tax_credits_flyer.pdf)

2. Job Tax Credit Tier Status Change for Athens-Clarke County for 2023

Annual changes in an area’s designation can have an impact on the incentives available to businesses locating or expanding in that particular community. Athens-Clarke County has been re-ranked from #31 (Tier 1 as a bottom 40 county) to #72, and is now in Tier 2. The move from #72 to #31 and changing from a Tier 1 to a Tier 2 county is a positive improvement in Athens-Clarke County’s status.

Businesses currently planning job creation in Athens-Clarke County are eligible to preserve 2022 job tax credit benefits by filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) prior to the March 31, 2023 deadline.

NOIs are filed directly with DCA to prevent adverse effects to a business based on changes in county tier rankings or re-ranking out of the bottom 40 counties. Changes for 2023 are largely due to the fact that the 2020 Census data was part of the information used for the current year rankings. Any company seeking to utilize the currently available 2022 eligibility and benefits may use the NOI process to secure these benefits for the next three years (2023, 2024, and 2025).

Businesses can access the NOI form online through the GA Department of Community Affairs (DCA) website.

For questions regarding the JTC, contact Kristen Miller at [email protected] or 678-303-8439.

Completed NOIs must be postmarked by March 31, 2023 and mailed to DCA at Georgia Dept. of Community Affairs Attn: Tricia DePadro, 60 Executive Park South, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329. Completed NOIs may also be emailed by March 31, 2023 to [email protected].