Opportunity Zones – Opportunity Zones – Insights From the Land of OZ

February 15, 2022September 8, 2026 by Duane Morris

OZ Filing Deadlines Approaching – Make sure to connect with your tax filer on who is doing what!

Friends and colleagues, a quick reminder which you are likely aware of, but in the “let’s be sure” category:

2021 QOFs – If you created a QOF (a Qualified Opportunity Zone fund) in 2021, your first tax return will be due in 2022, likely next month on March 15^th . Reminder that it is critical to file the Form 8996 with your filing or the IRS will NOT treat you as a fund and the OZ will not work for your project or your business. IMPORTANT to review with your tax filer.

2018, 2019 and 2020 QOFs – for QOFs formed in 2018, 2019 and 2020, you will have your normal annual compliance filing with the IRS for the QOF; please again make sure you have clarity with your tax filer on who is filing this required piece of paper.

Personal Tax Filings for the Investor – if you have invested in a QOF in 2021, then you need to file with the IRS a Form 8997 that advises the IRS that you have invested in a QOF along with a deferral election form which will effectively defer your tax on your OZ eligible investment until 12-31-2026. These forms should be filed with your personal tax return on April 15, 2022.

Note, if you are involved in deals with lower tiered QOZBs (Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses), the QOZB does not need to file anything with the IRS but (and a big BUT), they do need to do compliance testing on June 30th and December 31st of each year and report such testing to their QOF. Please make sure this is occurring for your investments.

Apologies for being slightly over protective of you here but a few QOFs and investors in the past have missed these deadlines or their accountant was not aware that they were supposed to be filing the relevant form. As such, we wanted to make sure you all get your signals straight and that we avoid any crossed OZ wires.

Contact your Duane Morris attorney for more information. Prior Alerts on the topic are available on the team’s webpage.

If you have any questions about this post, please contact Art Momjian, Scott Gluck, Lee Potter, Anastasios Kastrinakis, or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.

Take care and stay safe.

December 17, 2020May 28, 2026 by Duane Morris

New Markets Tax Credits and Opportunity Zones – Bill Proposed in the US Senate to make NMTC Permanent and prioritize grant funding in OZs

Earlier this week, 4 Senators introduced legislation that would make the new markets tax credit (NMTC) permanent and would seek to encourage further investment in opportunity zones (OZs).

Senators Marco Rubio, R-Florida, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Kelly Loeffler, R-Georgia, and Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, cosponsored the Economic Empowerment for Underserved Communities Act.

The bill, a summary of which is attached, makes the NMTC permanent with a $5 Billion annual allocation adjusted for inflation.

Per Novogradac and the Senator’s office announcement, the legislation also encourages investment in Opportunity Zones (“OZs) by establishing representatives to facilitate participation in the OZ program, prioritizes grant assistance in OZs through the Health Resource and Services Administration, allocates $7 Billion to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), establishes a Small Business Investment Company facility to enhance access to venture capital for underserved groups and businesses affected by COVID-19, and extends Small Business Administration debt relief provisions from the CARES Act.

The NMTC is authorized only through the calendar-year 2020 round.

Senator Loeffler’s office released a summary of the bill.

Duane Morris has an active Tax Credits and Opportunity Zone Team to help organizations and individuals plan, respond to, and invest in Opportunity Zones and low income areas throughout the USA, including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico using tax credit equity and standard equity. We have closed over 61 OZ deals since their inception and are actively working on over 38 OZ projects for owner/developers, investors and business owners. We would be happy to discussion your proposed project with you. Contact your Duane Morris attorney for more information. Prior Alerts on the topic are available on the team’s webpage.

If you have any questions about this post, please contact Brad A. Molotsky, Art Momjian, Scott Gluck, Lee Potter, Keli Isaacson Whitlock, Anastasios Kastrinakis, or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.

December 14, 2020September 8, 2026 by Duane Morris

HUD – 12-15-20 Webinar on Opportunity Zones 1-3 PM EST – Leveraging Public and Private Resources

Check Out tomorrow’s HUD webinar on OZs – If Opportunity Zones are of interest to you, come and join the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council and HUD for the third session of “Bolstering Growth in Opportunity Zones: Leveraging Public and Private Resources” focused on establishing policy tools and incentives, partnering with aligned organizations and measuring the impact, tomorrow, Tuesday, December 15, 2020 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM EST.

Registration is still open for Session 3: Develop Your OZ Action Plan to Build or Strengthen Your Local OZ Ecosystem.

Confirmed Speakers:
• Marc Alexander, Vice President, Investment Services, Invest Atlanta
• Stacy Cumberbatch, Managing Director, Blended Impact Labs
• Sherri Francois, Chief Impact Officer, SoLa Impact
• Ajit Mathew George, Founder, Second Chances Farm, LLC
• Dr. Eloisa Klementich, CEcD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Invest Atlanta
• Catherine Lyons, Director of Policy, Economic Innovation Group
• Dr. Leonard Mills, Chief Executive Officer, Verte Opportunity Fund
• Daffney Moore, Chief Opportunity Zone Officer, St. Louis Development Corporation
• Dr. Brien Walton, Chief Executive Officer, Acadia Capital Management, LLC

You must have a HUD Exchange account to register. Follow these instructions for registering.

Duane Morris has an active Opportunity Zone Team to help organizations and individuals plan, respond to, and invest in Opportunity Zones and low income areas throughout the USA, including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. We have closed over 61 OZ deals since their inception and are actively working on over 38 OZ projects for owner/developers, investors and business owners. We would be happy to discussion your proposed project with you. Contact your Duane Morris attorney for more information. Prior Alerts on the topic are available on the team’s webpage.

If you have any questions about this post, please contact Art Momjian, Scott Gluck, Lee Potter, Keli Isaacson Whitlock, AK Kastrinakis, or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.

August 26, 2020September 8, 2026 by Duane Morris

Federal GSA prioritizes Opportunity Zones for Owned and Leased Assets – Wow!

On Tuesday, August 25, 2020, the General Services Administration (“GSA”) announced that it will increase its investment in opportunity zones with owned and leased federal buildings, following an executive order that President Donald Trump signed Monday.

The order directed the GSA to prioritize opportunity zones and other distressed communities in federal agency moves to help bring new economic activity to the neighborhoods and to save taxpayer money by occupying more affordable real estate.

“We are excited to now officially include qualified Opportunity Zones in the list of priorities we formally assess when selecting sites,” GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said in a release. “Yesterday’s Executive Order is consistent with GSA’s long term role in spurring economic development within the communities where our buildings are located.”

The GSA owns or leases 376.9 Million Square feet in 9,600 buildings in over 2,200 communities. As the GSA is the largest owner and user of space in the US by far, this is a very significant development in OZ world.

The opportunity zone program was passed into law in 2018 as a way to incentivize investors to place their equity investments into underserved communities. According to BisNow, beyond using the government’s real estate footprint, the Trump administration has sought to support the opportunity zone program through other methods. The Department of Education last week launched a grant program to help institutions of higher education recover from the coronavirus crisis, and it gives priority to applicants who expand educational access to students in opportunity zones.

Duane Morris has an active Opportunity Zone Team to help organizations and individuals plan, respond to, and invest in Opportunity Zones throughout the USA, including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. We have closed over 45 OZ deals since their inception and are actively working on over 54 OZ projects for owner/developers, investors and business owners. We would be happy to discuss your proposed project. Contact your Duane Morris attorney for more information. Prior Alerts on the topic are available on the team’s webpage.

If you have any questions about this post, please contact Scott Gluck, Lee Potter, AK Kastrinakis, Art Momjian or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.

Be well and stay safe.