Programs and Incentives

This non-refundable credit is equal to 7.5% of eligible qualified production activities income and may be used to offset state income or franchise taxes.  The annual tax credit reduces the company’s effective state corporate income tax rate to 0.4%.

The goal of the Business Development Tax Credit (BTC) Program is to incent new and expanding businesses in the state of Wisconsin.

The program supports job creation, capital investment, training, Corporate Headquarters location or retention and investment in workforce housing and employee child care programs by providing businesses located in or relocating to Wisconsin with refundable tax credits that can help to reduce their Wisconsin income/franchise tax liability or provide a refund, thereby helping to enhance their cash flow to expand the project’s scope, accelerate the timing of the project or enhance payroll.

A business may be awarded an additional amount of Tax Credits if the project meets any of the following criteria:

• Project located in an Economically Distressed area or Opportunity Zone
• Locating or retaining a Corporate Headquarters
• Wisconsin is competing for the investment with one or more out-of-state locations
• 50% of Eligible Employees’ wages are greater than 400% of the federal minimum wage
• Industry jobs multiplier is greater than 2.0

Wisconsin’s Enterprise Zone Tax Credits are available to assist Wisconsin businesses that have significant expansion projects or are relocating major business operations from other states to Wisconsin. Refundable tax credits can be earned through job creation, job retention, capital investment, employee training, and supply chain purchases from Wisconsin vendors.

Manufacturing machinery and specific processing equipment are exempt from general property tax if used exclusively and directly in the manufacturing process of tangible personal property. Included are repair parts, replacement machines, safety attachments and specific foundations for that equipment. This exemption applies regardless of how the machinery or equipment is attached to real property but does not include buildings.

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal income tax credit designed to help people gain on-the-job experience and achieve better employment outcomes. The WOTC program offers federal tax credits to employers as an incentive to hire people in several specific target groups.

WOTC applies to new employees only in one of the following target groups:

• TANF Recipients
• Qualified Veteran
• Ex-Felons
• Vocational Rehabilitation Referrals
• Food Share/SNAP Recipients
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients
• Long-term Family Assistance Recipients (LTFA)
• Long-term Unemployed Recipient (LTUR)

Provides matching state grants to governing bodies for road, rail, harbor, and airport projects that help attract employers to Wisconsin or encourage business and industry to remain and expand in the state.

The Hire Heroes Transitional Jobs Program for Veterans is a public/private partnership that offers local businesses access to subsidized veteran employees with the goal of helping veterans with high barriers gain job skills needed to transition into long-term sustainable employment.

Eligible veterans can enter subsidized employment for up to 1,040 hours to gain new or updated skills through on-the-job training. Employers can train eligible veterans while being reimbursed federal minimum wage.

The Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) grant program awards funds to businesses in all industry sectors that reimburse the costs of customized occupational training for unemployed, underemployed and incumbent workers. The customized, business-driven training will qualify workers for full-time employment, higher level employment or increased wages.

Provides reimbursements to employers to help compensate for the costs associated with training and loss of production for newly hired employees. Administered in GJC by the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin.

The Veteran Employment Grant is an incentive program to support businesses hiring honorably discharged veterans with a 50% or more service-related disability.

Employers can receive $5,000 in funding over 12-month period when they hire a qualifying veteran full-time and up to $2,500 for part-time.

Wisconsin companies can be reimbursed for specific expenses associated with an export project that will help to grow their presence in an international market.

Assistance categories are generally:

• Trade Shows/Ventures
• Marketing & Promotion
• Export Education
• Consulting Services

This program provides loan guarantees to commercial lenders for loans to eligible rural businesses.

Examples of eligible uses include:

• Business development, growth, modernization, conversion, or repair
• Buy and develop land, buildings, and associated infrastructure for commercial or industrial use
• Buy and install machinery, equipment, supplies, and inventory
• Refinance debt to create cash flow and create jobs
• Acquire businesses or industries when the loan will maintain operations, and create or save jobs

The Wisconsin Investment Fund is seeded with $50 million from the federal government State Small Business Credit Initiative program. The Fund provides a source of venture capital for strategically selected seed and early-stage venture funds and fund managers for investment in start-up companies in Wisconsin. The fund will invest in innovative companies working in technology, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and other areas.

Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, highly successful and nationally recognized talent acquisition strategy in which employers hire high school juniors and seniors for a one or two-year Youth Apprenticeship. Employers provide mentored on-the-job training and evaluation of youth apprentices. Students pair courses related to the profession to enhance the on-the-job learning.

Programs:

• Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR)
• Architecture and Construction
• Arts, Audio Visual Technology and Communications
• Business Administration
• Education
• Finance
• Health Science
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Information Technology (IT)
• Manufacturing
• Marketing
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
• Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL)

Apprentices earn a progressive wage while learning an occupation. Wisconsin employers annually train approximately 10,000 registered apprentices in about 200 occupations. Apprentices learn only a portion of their skills in a traditional classroom. They receive most of their training on-the-job, while working for an employer who pays a good wage. Employment is the primary requirement for an apprenticeship – a job must exist in order for the apprentice to be trained. The classroom instruction is usually provided through the Wisconsin Technical College system.

Job Posting

Free services for employers to share open positions on Job Center of Wisconsin

Candidate Search

Employers can search resumes and find qualified job candidates Using Job Center of Wisconsin

Business Services Representatives

Assist with finding qualified applicants with diverse abilities, building strategies to maintain a competitive advantage by retaining the existing workforce, and connecting to workforce planning resources and labor market information.

Workforce Events

Hosted by Wisconsin Job Center locations for single businesses to connect with multiple job candidates in a single day

The Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) supports a wide variety of energy projects related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy storage, energy planning, and more. Each year, the Commission chooses eligible activities based on its energy priorities, emerging trends, and public input.

Eligible entities include:

• Manufacturers
• Municipalities
• Universities and schools
• Hospitals
• Municipal utilities
• 501(c)(3) nonprofits

Jefferson County is a participating community in the PACE Wisconsin program. The program enables property owners to obtain low-cost, long-term loans for energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation improvements. PACE Wisconsin is currently available to commercial properties (office, retail, warehouse, hospitality, agricultural and industrial) located within the county. This includes for-profit businesses and non-governmental, tax-exempt properties such as privately-operated community centers and hospitals. The property may also be a multifamily building with five or more dwelling units.

Tax credits for businesses and other entities like nonprofits and local and tribal governments that purchase solar energy systems.

• The investment tax credit (ITC) is a tax credit that reduces the federal income tax liability for a percentage of the cost of a solar system that is installed during the tax year.
• The production tax credit (PTC) is a per kilowatt-hour (kWh) tax credit for electricity generated by solar and other qualifying technologies for the first 10 years of a system’s operation. It reduces the federal income tax liability and is adjusted annually for inflation.

Generally, project owners cannot claim both the ITC and the PTC for the same property, although they could claim different credits for co-located systems, like solar and storage.

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s Industrial Assessment Center (UWM IAC) provides free energy, productivity and waste assessments to small and medium-sized industrial facilities through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy. The UWM IAC conducts manufacturer and utilities reviews in the following areas: energy, environmental stability, advanced manufacturing, water, and technological innovation. These technical assessments have been developed by the UWM IAC in order to make impactful scientific and technical contributions to Wisconsin’s manufacturing companies, utilities, and facilities for water, wastewater and sand, as well as help those companies enhance cybersecurity and adopt smart manufacturing technology.

US Manufacturer with annual energy bills between $100,000 and $3,500,000 located within 150 miles of the IAC qualify.