Arlington’s County Board is set to expand the number of properties eligible for its Technology Zone tax incentive program. On December 13, the County Board will consider adding properties zoned Commercial/Mixed Use or Industrial to the list of qualifying properties. Currently, only properties located within one of the County’s four Technology Zones qualify for the incentive program. The current Technology Zones include commercially or industrially zoned properties in the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor, the Jefferson-Davis Corridor, Shirlington and Columbia Pike Corridor, as more fully described in Appendix A to Chapter 66 of the Arlington County Code.
Many of the proposed properties lie along Lee Highway, Glebe Road, and Washington Boulevard, outside of the existing Technology Zones. Once added, qualified technology businesses at these properties are eligible for a reduction in their Business Professional Occupational License rates:
- Companies with 1 to 499 employees: $0.18/$100 of gross receipts
- Companies with 500 to 999 employees: $0.14/$100 of gross receipts
- Companies with 1,000 or more employees: $0.10/$100 of gross receipts
Additionally, existing technology businesses which experienced employment growth prior to April 12, 2014 (the last time the County Board expanded the program) would become eligible to qualify as an “expansion technology business,” which would allow existing businesses to take advantage of the new tax rates.