| Best regards | | | | areas,"this does not necessarily make them areas |
| Chris Anderson | | | | covered by the |
| How Do I Get to the GO Zone? | | | | Act. There are differences in the types of |
| For investors and entrepreneurs, the GO Zone has | | | | incentivesoffered, so knowing the status of the area |
| turned into the "go to" zone for reaping financial | | | | you plan oninvesting in is key to painting a complete |
| gain-and givingback to ailing communities in the | | | | financialpicture. To date, the GO Zone covers the |
| process. As manyinvestors flock to the GO Zone to | | | | following areasin the following states. |
| visualize financial gain,others are left wondering, "What | | | | Louisiana Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, |
| is the GO Zone, and how do | | | | Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, |
| I get there?" | | | | Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, |
| What is it? Congress passed the Gulf Opportunity | | | | Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe |
| Zone Actafter the 2005 hurricane season. GO Zone | | | | Coupee, |
| provides taxincentives and financial assistance for | | | | St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. |
| small businessesand residents affected by hurricanes | | | | Johnthe Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, |
| Katrina, Rita, and | | | | Tangipahoa, |
| Wilma. In addition, businesses participating in | | | | Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West Baton |
| therebuilding of the area are also offered tax relief | | | | Rouge, and |
| andfinancial incentives. | | | | West Feliciana counties. |
| Why was it created? With the destruction wreaked | | | | Alabama Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Greene, Hale, |
| on | | | | Marengo, |
| Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, Congress decided | | | | Mobile, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, and |
| tooffer incentives for investors and businesses to | | | | Washingtonparishes. |
| rebuildthe area. As a result, the Gulf Opportunity Zone | | | | Mississippi Adams, Amite, Attala, Choctaw, Claiborne, |
| Act of | | | | Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, |
| 2005 (GO Zone) was passed on December 16, 2005, | | | | Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, |
| andapproved by President George W. Bush on | | | | Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, |
| December 21, 2005. | | | | Kemper, |
| Basically, this legislation is a way to reward | | | | Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lincoln, Lowndes, |
| privateentities that have financial interests in the Gulf | | | | Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, |
| Coastarea, and to attract other investors to the | | | | Oktibbeha, Pearl |
| area-promotingrebuilding and regrowth. As a result, | | | | River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, |
| public funds are notsolely responsible for financing and | | | | Walthall, Warren, Wayne, Wilkinson, Winston, and |
| rebuilding-savingtaxpayers and the government money. | | | | Yazoocounties. |
| What areas are covered by the legislation? Don't be | | | | Make sure to consult your attorney and/or tax |
| fooledinto thinking that any hurricane-ravaged area is | | | | consultant toensure that you make the right investment |
| eligiblefor benefits. For example, although the entire | | | | decision. |
| state of | | | | Although not all of the Gulf Coast is covered under |
| Louisiana was declared a Katrina Disaster Area, | | | | GO |
| onlycertain areas are covered under the Act. It is | | | | Zone, many areas are ripe for investment and |
| imperativeto know exactly which areas are eligible for | | | | development,making them the "go to" spot for the right |
| benefitsbefore making financial decisions. | | | | type of investor. |
| While many more areas may be considered "disaster | | | | |