Community Renewal Good Stories - Huntington-Ironton

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Promoting EZ Employment Credits on the Ohio/West Virginia Border

Huntington, West Virginia/Ironton, Ohio, EZ

To market the EZ and its tax incentives, the Huntington, West Virginia/Ironton, Ohio, EZ developed and distributed local press releases. Featuring interviews with Ironton and Huntington EZ business owners, the articles relate how businesses have received EZ employment wage credits of up to $3,000 for each employee who lives in the EZ. Drawing on the press releases, local newspapers have published articles educating the public and prospective EZ businesses about the Huntington/Ironton EZ and its advantages:

• An article in The Ironton Tribune featured Unger Shoes, a downtown business that has taken advantage of EZ tax credits. Quoting Joe Unger, whose father started Unger Shoes in 1947 at its current Ironton location, the Tribune noted, "The best thing about this tax credit-aside from the overall economic benefit of the Empowerment Zone itself-is giving existing businesses an opportunity to hire people from targeted areas and to receive help from the government on their Federal tax bill."



• In an article on Huntington's EZ, The Herald-Dispatch quoted Kirk Dodrill, owner of Dodrill Jewelers, "This wage credit helps small business owners like myself and is easy to use. I was glad to learn of this credit and it's really benefited my business." The article explains the advantages of EZ wage credit and how EZ businesses can qualify for other benefits, including the WOTC and the WtW Credit. In addition to marketing the EZ through press releases, the Huntington/Ironton EZ has conducted tax credit seminars for EZ businesses, accountants, and attorneys, and has published and mailed several brochures describing the EZ tax incentives to EZ businesses, seminars, and trade shows. During tax season EZ officials have also placed advertisements describing the EZ employment wage credits in The Herald- Dispatch and The Ironton Tribune.

For more information on the Huntington/ Ironton EZ programs, call Executive Director Cathy Burns at (304) 399-5454.