BERLIN – Three towns in Worcester County are partnering together to host a tax credit seminar next week for businesses within designated enterprise zones.
Officials with the towns of Berlin, Snow Hill and Pocomoke City, and Worcester County Economic Development (WCED) are spearheading the collaborative effort to introduce and educate local proprietors on tax credit offerings in the state.
Merry Mears, director of WCED said the event will offer business owners in these areas the opportunity to learn about Maryland’s two tax credit programs and to apply for potential reductions.
Mears said the Maryland Department of Commerce offers business owners within the established enterprise zones two program credits – state income and real property tax – but added that many in the county have not taken advantage of these incentives.
“Enterprise zones have been in existence here over the past ten years as far as I’m aware, and we came together and said, ‘Why aren’t we seeing any applications?’” she said. “So we decided it was our responsibility to get the word out.”
This acknowledgment came less than one month ago, after Berlin received an enterprise zone re-designation from the state.
Since that time, WCED has worked with the three towns to market the two programs through a seminar.
“This is the first time that we have done one of these in Worcester County,” Mears said. “We marketed the enterprise zone designations in three of our townships and we want them to reap these benefits.”
The event will bring in officials from the Maryland Department of Commerce, who will provide an overview of the program and the application process.
The three enterprise zones in Worcester County cover more than 2,300 acres – 1,184 in Berlin, 926 in Pocomoke City, and 233 in Snow Hill – according to the Maryland Department of Commerce. The more than 25 businesses that reside within these areas could receive $1,000 for each full-time employee hired within the past three years and potential property tax credits. Businesses located in designated “focus areas” could also qualify for additional credits.
Mears urges business owners interested in attending the event to first check with administrators at their local town halls in Berlin, Snow Hill or Pocomoke to ensure their business resides within the established zones. They can contact Ernie Crofoot (Pocomoke), Kelly Pruitt (Snow Hill) or Ivy Wells (Berlin) to verify their business’s location.
The seminar is scheduled for Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Berlin’s Town Hall at 10 William St.
The event is free and a light lunch will be provided, according to Mears, but added that reservations are required to attend.
Mears said qualifying business owners interested in attending can contact her directly at 410-632-3112 or [email protected] by Monday.
For more information on Maryland’s enterprise zones and local administrators, visit the Department of Commerce’s enterprise zone webpage.
“We have a great partnership with the towns that have enterprise zones,” she said. “We are looking forward to putting credits in the hands of these business owners and we want to make it happen for them.”
