Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones are a new community development program established by Congress as a part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. They are designed to encourage long-term private investments in low-income communities, providing a federal tax incentive for taxpayers who reinvest unrealized capital gains into "Opportunity Funds," which are specialized vehicles dedicated to investing in specially designated low-income areas.

Opportunity Zones are designed to spur economic development by providing tax benefits to investors. First, investors can defer tax on any prior gains until the earlier of the date on which an investment is sold or exchanged, or December 31, 2026, so long as the gain is reinvested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Second, if the investor holds the investment in the Opportunity Fund for at least ten years, the investor would be eligible for an increase in basis equal to the fair market value of the investment on the date that the investment is sold or exchanged.

The City of Spartanburg contains four Opportunity Zones. Find maps of each zone within our City on this page.

Visit the IRS Opportunity Zones FAQ website.

For a detailed look at how Opportunity Zones function, see the following presentation from Will Lambe, Director of Capital Solutions with Enterprise Community Loan Fund.