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Business Incentives & Taxes

The pro-business environment of Elbert County, Elberton and Bowman thrives on a multitude of incentives for businesses. Whether you’re looking to land your innovative start-up or relocating an existing business, Elbert County provides numerous ways to ensure your business is stable and profitable.

Georgia perennially ranks as one of the top states for business in the nation and has excellent corporate tax rates along with an assortment of multi-tiered abatements. Elbert County, too, has low local tax, millage and utility rates, making it a place where business and industry can thrive.

Designated Opportunity Zones are an Investment Credit Program open to any business located within the defined areas. Elbert County’s Opportunity Zone within the City of Elberton provides a tax credit of $3,500 which may be applied to your corporate income tax liability for each new job created (minimum 2). This designation will run through 2023.

Each year, Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA) ranks the state’s counties based on certain economic factors and divides them into tiers. Elbert County’s Tier 2 classification can provide businesses creating at least 10 new jobs a tax credit of $3,000 per job, per year for the first five years.

The law allows for a statewide job tax credit against Georgia income taxes for any business or headquarters of any such business engaged in:

  • ManufacturingServices for the Elderly or Persons with Disabilities
  • Warehousing & Distribution
  • Processing
  • Telecommunications
  • Broadcasting
  • Tourism
  • Research & Development industries

Elbert County exempts companies from paying local taxes on qualifying inventory. There is 100% exemption on:

  • Inventory of goods in the process of being manufactured or produced including raw materials and partly finished goods.
  • Inventory of finished goods manufactured or produced within Georgia held by the manufacturer or producer for a period not to exceed 12 months.
  • Inventory of finished goods on January 1 that are stored in a warehouse, dock, or wharf that are destined for shipment outside Georgia for a period not to exceed 12 months.
  • Stock in trade of a fulfillment center which on January 1 are stored in the fulfillment center.

The Elbert County Campus of Athens Technical College serves as the liaison for Georgia’s celebrated Quick Start training program. Quick Start is an incentive to attract new and retain existing industry in Georgia and its 159 counties. Quick Start helps companies start up and expand their operations using customized training programs and providing qualified companies with a trained workforce in the shortest time possible at no charge to the company. In Elbert County, development and implementation of the training program is a three-way partnership among Quick Start, the company, and Athens Technical College’s Elbert County Campus.

Retraining tax credits can be used to offset up to 50% of a company’s Georgia corporate income tax liability. If the earned credit exceeds that limit, then the unused credit can be carried forward for up to 10 years and applied to future years’ tax liability. Eligible expenses include:

  • costs of instructors and teaching materials
  • employee wages during retraining
  • reasonable travel expenses

Any business that files a Georgia income tax return is eligible for the retraining tax credit. To qualify, training programs must be designed to enhance quality and productivity or teach certain software technologies. To qualify for the credit, retraining expenses must be approved by the Technical College System of Georgia. Businesses can receive a tax credit of 50% of their direct training expenses, with up to $500 credit per full-time employee, per training program. The annual maximum of the credit amounts to $1,250 per employee.

Companies creating at least 50 new jobs in Georgia may qualify for the Quality Jobs Tax Credit if those workers will be receiving wages at least 10% higher than the county wage average.

Average Wage Requirement (% Of County Average)
  • ≥110% and <120%
  • ≥120% and <150%
  • ≥150% and <175%
  • ≥175% and <200%
  • 200% or greater
Tax Credit Value Per New Quality Job (For 5 years)
  • $2,500
  • $3,000
  • $4,000
  • $4,500
  • $5,000

More about Georgia’s Quality Jobs Tax Credit:

  • New quality jobs created within seven years of initial eligibility qualify for the credit
  • Credits may offset a company’s payroll withholding once all other corporate income tax liability has been exhausted
  • Credits may be carried forward for 10 years
  • New jobs that do not qualify for Quality Job Tax Credits may still be eligible for Georgia’s job tax credit if they meet requirements for that credit
  • A Quality Job Tax Credit must be claimed within the earlier of the following time periods: a) one year from the date the original return is filed; or, b) one year from the date the return is due (including any approved extension)
  • Georgia Department of Revenue Form IT-QJ must be filed with the income tax return for the company to claim the Quality Jobs Tax Credit.
    Download Form IT-QJ
  • Companies that prefer to use the Quality Jobs Tax Credit to offset withholding taxes must file Georgia Department of Revenue Form IT-WH 30 days prior to filing the income tax return.

If you’re hiring individuals who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment, the work tax credit can be $1,200 to $9,600 per qualified employee, depending on the target group. The most frequently certified WOTC is $2,400 for each adult new hire.

Targeted groups include:

  • Veterans
  • Recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program
  • Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits
  • Residents who live within Empowerment Zones or Rural Renewal Counties
  • Recipients of vocational rehabilitation from a qualifying agency
  • Ex-felons
  • Recipients of Supplemental Security Income benefits
  • Summer youth employees

As a designated Camera Ready community, Elbert County has professionals trained to provide one-on-one local assistance for film or television production companies. We know the perfect location for your shoot, and can provide help and insight when it comes to film permits, lodging, etc.

Through the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, television and film companies may receive a tax credit of up to 30% of money spent on production and post-production with a minimum in-state spend of $500,000.

Elbert County has a combined sales tax of 8%. Georgia state sales and use tax rate is 4%. Elbert County collects an additional 4%, which includes Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) for education, transportation, and other countywide improvements as approved by voters.

In Georgia, property is required to be assessed at 40% of the fair market value unless otherwise specified by law. The tax rate, or millage rate, is set annually by the Elbert County Commissioners and the Elbert County Board of Education. A tax rate of one mill represents a tax liability of one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. The billing and collection of taxes is the responsibility of the Tax Commissioner. Incorporated areas of the county have a slightly higher millage rate than unincorporated areas; however, the cities of Elberton and Bowman do not collect property taxes.

Millage Rates, FY2019

  • Elbert County - Incorporated 10.743
  • Elbert County - Unincorporated 10.504
  • Elbert County Wide Hospital 1.800
  • Elbert County School 15.933

Georgia’s corporate income tax rate of 5.75% applies only to the portion of income earned in Georgia. Currently, Georgia is transitioning to a sales-only corporate income tax rate. Georgia will be the first state in the Southeastern United States to make this change. There is no unitary tax, and Elbert County does not have a local income tax or payroll tax. https://dor.georgia.gov/taxes/business-taxes/corporate-income-and-net-worth-tax

Corporations may also have to pay a net worth tax. This tax is based on the net worth of a corporation, levied in exchange for the privilege of doing business or exercising a corporate franchise in Georgia.

Georgia residents are subject to tax on their net income at rates ranging from 1% to 5.75%. Married persons in the 5.75% bracket pay $340 plus 6% of their taxable income over $10,000. Income and deductions generally follow federal regulations. Exemptions are $3,000 for dependents and $2,700 personal exemption or $7,400 for spouses filing jointly.

Utilities & Infrastructure

Unlike other communities around the state and Southeast, electricity, natural gas, water-sewer and telecommunications are community-owned and maintained. As a single-provider utility, Elberton Utilities is a reliable partner for businesses in Elbert County and is poised to support growth.

Telecom

The latest incentive from the City of Elberton is a fiber optic broadband telecommunications system under the name ElbertonNET. It enables the City to offer video and data capabilities to businesses of all sizes. More than 30 miles of fiber currently make high speed Internet and cable TV available throughout the entire City limits and beyond in some directions, including the Elberton Industrial Park.

ElbertonNET is a part of the Georgia Public Web, connected to its 3,000-mile self-healing SONET fiber system. In addition to high speed Internet, several business products are available, such as Point-to-Point private line connections and a 24 hour a day, seven day a week, Network Operations Center.

Electric Power

Electric power needs are met by the City of Elberton, Georgia Power and Hart EMC. The Southeastern Power Administration is also headquartered in Elberton. This federal agency is responsible for marketing hydroelectric power from 23 water projects operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – including Elbert County’s Lake Russell and Clarks Hill Lake – in 10 Southeastern states. The agency markets electric power to nearly 500 wholesale customers, including electrical cooperatives, government-operated electric distributors and investor-owned utilities.

Natural Gas

Supplied by the City through a 6-inch main, natural gas is available in industrial quantities on both a firm and a temperature sensitive basis. The City of Elberton, through the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia {MGAG}, provides natural gas service for the Elberton Industrial Park. A 2″ high pressure {300 PSI} line serves the Park’s needs.

Water & Sewer

WaterThe City of Elberton serves the community with an 8-inch water main and keeps 500,000 gallons of water in storage on-site for commercial use. The Water Filter Plant is permitted at 3.1 million gallons per day (MGD), average flow of 1.6 MGD, 52% capacity.

  • Plant capacity: 3,100,000 gal/day
  • Consumption: 1,600,000 gal/day maximum
  • Storage capacity: 1,250,000 gal. elevated, 500,000 gal. elevated under construction; 600,000 gal. ground storage.
  • Source: Beaverdam Creek and Lake Russell. Daily permitted withdrawal: 7,500,000 gal.

SewerThe City of Elberton operates 12-inch sewer mains and serves the Industrial Park to facilitate large industrial users. The wastewater plants are Fortson's Creek WPCP, with permitted flow of .600 MGD, average flow .325 MGD, 54% capacity, and Falling Creek WPCP, with permitted flow .900 MGD, average flow .750 MGD, 84% capacity.

  • Plant Capacity: 1,500,000 gal/day
  • Plant Load: 9,000,000 gal/day