Incentives & Operational Savings
Sound Advantages
Our supportive business climate is showcased by programs like the family-wage jobs credits and expedited permitting. Ask us for a customized proposal that will help your firm maximize the available incentives and gain access to financing solutions.
Washington State Has
- No personal state income tax
- No corporate income tax
- No inventory tax
Businesses may qualify for tax incentives offered by the State of Washington. These incentives include deferrals, reduced B&O rates, exemptions, and credits.
- State Tax Credit for Commercial Office Construction and Renovation: pending summer 2019 enactment of local legislation
- State Machinery and Equipment (M&E) Sales/Use Tax Exemption: For machinery and equipment used directly in manufacturing or research
- State Warehouse Tax Incentive: For new warehouse construction or expansion that is 200,000 square feet or greater
- State B&O Tax Credit for New Employees: Variable-level credits available for new, qualifying employment in Tacoma Community Empowerment Zone
- State Sales/Use Tax Deferral/Waiver for Corporate HQ: Available to businesses with corporate headquarters locating in an eligible Community Empowerment Zone
- State High Employment Sales/Use Tax Deferral for Manufacturing Facilities: For manufacturers, persons conditioning vegetable seeds, research and development and commercial testing for manufacturers in a Community Empowerment Zone
- State B&O Tax Exemption/Deduction for Food Processing/Manufacturing: Available to manufacturers of fresh produce, dairy products and seafood products
Pierce County Incentives Include
- 100% traffic impact fee exemption for manufacturing, corporate headquarters, and R&D centers in unincorporated areas
- Incentives to create new family-wage jobs in targeted jurisdictions:
- Family-wage Jobs Tax Incentives
When it comes to creating family-wage jobs, businesses do well to choose Pierce County, WA. These jurisdictions offer incentives to employers who create family-wage jobs.
Unincorporated Pierce County | City of DuPont | City of Tacoma | City of Lakewood | City of Sumner | City of University Place | Town of Steilacoom
Ask us how to tap into these programs, and whether other municipalities have added family-wage incentives to their books.
- Aerospace Incentives
Washington State has supported and nurtured the aerospace industry for more than a century.
- Reduced B&O Tax Rate for Aerospace Businesses: For manufacturers of commercial airplanes or component airplanes and aerospace tooling manufacturers
- Aerospace Industry B&O Tax Credit for Pre-production Development Expenditures: For expenditures in research, design and engineering activities related to the development of aerospace products or models by manufacturers of commercial airplanes or component parts of commercial airplanes
- Aerospace Industry B&O Tax Credit for Property Taxes Paid: For qualifying real estate used exclusively in the manufacturing of commercial airplanes or component parts of commercial airplanes
- Aerospace Industry Sales/Use Tax Exemption for Computer Hardware, Software & Peripherals: For manufacturers of commercial airplanes or component parts of commercial airplanes
- Tax Exemption for Construction of Facilities Used to Manufacture Commercial Airplanes: For the construction of new facilities and new parts of facilities that will be used primarily to manufacture commercial airplanes and components
- 100% traffic impact fee exemption for manufacturing, corporate headquarters, and R&D centers in unincorporated areas
Visit our Aerospace page for additional information about this industry in Pierce County.
- Logistics Incentives
- No sales or use tax on machinery and equipment used in manufacturing operations
- One of the largest, most successful foreign trade zones
- 100% traffic impact fee exemption for corporate headquarters centers in unincorporated areas
- Workforce training grants and credits
- Other project-specific state and local programs
State Incentives Trade Resources
Visit our Transportation, Trade, and Logistics page for additional information about this industry in Pierce County.
- Technology Incentives
- Business & Occupation (B&O) tax rate of 0.4% for all office and service businesses; state and local tax breaks for new employers can help offset this
- 100% traffic impact fee exemption for manufacturing, corporate headquarters, and R&D centers in unincorporated areas
- Construction materials sales tax rebate for eligible Class A office space construction and refurbishment
- Job training funds through licensed educational institutions
- Electric rates 50% below national averages and 60% below West Coast averages
- State of Washington B&O Tax Credit for customized training
- State of Washington Strategic Reserve Fund
- Other project-specific state and local programs
Visit our Technology page for additional information about this industry in Pierce County.
- Opportunity Zones
The federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created the Opportunity Zone program, which was designed to provide tax incentives to investors who fund businesses in underserved communities.Investors are able to defer paying taxes on capital gains that are invested in Qualified Opportunity Funds that in turn are invested in one or more of Pierce County’s 12 Opportunity Zones.
WA State OZ Info City of Tacoma OZ Lakewood OZ
Use our site location tool, InvestPierceCounty.com, to search for sites and building in designated Opportunity Zones.
Ask us for a customized package to meet your needs.
Sarah Bonds
Vice President for Business Recruitment
Maddie Merton
Vice President for Business Retention and Expansion