Florida Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund
FloridaCommerce (formerly Florida Department of Economic Opportunity)
$3,000–$6,000 per new job
Florida's flagship business attraction incentive
Florida's primary performance-based incentive for attracting and growing high-value businesses in targeted industries. QTI provides refunds on Florida taxes paid — sales tax, corporate income tax, ad valorem tax, intangible personal property tax, and certain other taxes — at $3,000 to $6,000 per net new full-time job created, paid over a 5-year period. State pays 80% and the local government contributes 20%. Requires pre-approval before project commitment and FloridaCommerce + Governor's approval.
- Funding type
- Tax Credit
- Level
- State
- Amount
- Annual tax refund per net new full-time job, paid over 5 years. Rates are additive: Base = $3,000/job/yr; 150% of county average wage = $4,000/job/yr ($3,000 + $1,000 bonus); 200%+ of county average wage = $5,000/job/yr ($3,000 + $2,000 bonus); rural area or rural enterprise zone = $6,000/job/yr ($3,000 + $3,000 bonus). Bonuses are additive — a rural business paying 200%+ wages could qualify for $8,000/job/yr. A company adding 50 jobs at the 150%-wage tier ($4,000/job) earns $200,000/year × 5 years = $1,000,000 total (state pays 80%, local government contributes 20%).
- Realistic amount
- A typical QTI recipient adding 50–100 high-wage jobs receives $750,000–$3,000,000 in total tax refunds over 5 years. Lar…
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications accepted year-round. FloridaCommerce evaluates on a project-specific basis with Governor's Office of Economic Development approval required.
- Status
- active
- States
- FL
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Business must be in a Florida Qualified Target Industry: aviation/aerospace, financial and professional services, information technology, life sciences/biotech, manufacturing, clean energy technology, logistics and distribution, corporate headquarters, digital media/entertainment, or emerging technologies
- Business must create a minimum of 10 net new full-time Florida jobs paying an average of at least 115% of the area average wage (or 150% for the higher refund tier)
- Business must be making a new or expanding Florida investment (not merely maintaining existing operations)
- Application must be submitted and approved BEFORE committing to Florida as the project location
- Local government where jobs will be created must agree to provide 20% of the total QTI incentive value
- Retail and entertainment businesses that are primarily locally-serving are generally ineligible
- Company must have no outstanding legal issues with Florida government agencies
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- QTI is a refund of Florida taxes already paid — no restriction on the underlying business expenses
- Refunds apply to Florida corporate income tax, sales tax (on equipment, machinery, office furniture), ad valorem taxes on business property, intangible personal property tax, documentary stamp tax on corporate documents
- Net new full-time Florida jobs (35+ hours/week) paying at or above the required wage threshold
Ineligible expenses
- Federal taxes are not refunded
- Jobs transferred from existing Florida locations do not count as net new
- Part-time and seasonal positions do not qualify toward job count milestones
- Retail trade or locally-serving entertainment businesses
- Existing Florida businesses maintaining current employment without new growth
How to apply
-
1
Confirm your industry is a Qualified Target Industry and engage FloridaCommerce
Contact FloridaCommerce's Business Development team to confirm your industry qualifies. FloridaCommerce staff review preliminary project details and advise on likely incentive value and process.
~3 hrs
-
2
Secure local government support (the 20% match commitment)
Engage the county or municipality where jobs will be created. Local government must agree to fund 20% of the total QTI incentive (their portion is typically paid from the local government's economic development fund or general fund). A local resolution or letter of commitment is required.
~8 hrs
-
3
Submit QTI application to FloridaCommerce
Complete the QTI application including company profile, industry classification, job-creation plan (count, wages, titles, timeline), capital investment, site information, local government match documentation, and 'but for' certification.
~20 hrs
-
4
FloridaCommerce review and Governor recommendation
FloridaCommerce evaluates the project and makes a recommendation. The Governor's Office of Economic Development reviews and approves. Approval is required before the company finalizes its Florida location decision.
~0 hrs
-
5
Execute QTI agreement and create jobs
Sign the QTI Tax Refund Agreement with FloridaCommerce specifying annual job creation milestones, wage thresholds, and refund payment schedule. Begin hiring Florida employees.
~4 hrs
-
6
Annual milestone verification and tax refund collection
Each year for 5 years, FloridaCommerce verifies job counts and wages. After verification, FloridaCommerce issues tax refunds for the Florida taxes paid in that period — state pays 80% and local government remits 20% directly to the company.
~5 hrs
The 20% local match is the hidden obstacle — engage the county economic development office before starting the FloridaCommerce application. Rate tiers are additive: base $3,000/job, +$1,000 at 150% wage, +$2,000 at 200% wage, +$3,000 rural/EZ — projecting wages at 150%+ of county average ($4,000/job) often justifies the extra compensation planning.
Deadline & timing
Company must apply and receive QTI approval BEFORE making a final commitment to locate in Florida — retroactive applications are not eligible. Process from inquiry to approval typically takes 2–4 months. The 5-year refund period begins after the QTI agreement is executed.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.