What Are Opportunity Zones?
Created by the Tax and Job Cuts Act, an Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where new investments made under certain conditions may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities which qualify to become Opportunity Zones must first be nominated for that designation by their state government and have that nomination certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. Opportunity Zones have been certifed by the Secretary of the Treasury throughout the United States and Puerto Rico; a list of Opportunity Zones can be found here.
What is an Opportunity Fund?
An Opportunity Fund is an investment vehicle for investing in Opportunity Zones which allows the investors to enjoy the tax benefits from such investments. Opportunity Zone may be organized as partnerships, corporations, or limited liability entities and make a certification to the Internal Revenue Service to gain the tax advantages available to Opportunity Zone investors.
Why Invest in an Opportunity Zone?
Opportunity Zones provide investors in Opportunity Funds with the ability to defer capital gains that would otherwise be taxable at the time of the investment. In some cases, Investment in O-Zones can potentially shield 15% of deferred gains from ever being subject to tax. An additional benefit is that investments in Opportunity Funds which are held for 10 years would be exempt from any capital gain tax on the sale of the investment in the Opportunity Fund.
How do I find an Opportunity Fund?
There are a number of different Opportunity Fund investments available and more are being founded on an ongoing basis. If you are looking to invest in an independently managed Opportunity Fund, our tax advisors can walk you through the process with your investment advisor. If you are interested in establishing your own Opportunity Fund, our team can help you establish the entity, qualify the entity to serve as an Opportunity Fund, perform all necessary tax compliance functions, and even maintain the books and records for the Opportunity Fund.