Woodstock Launches Program To Incentivize Small Business Woodstock City Council recently approved a new Small Business Occupational Tax Waiver for small businesses opening commercial locations in Woodstock.Under the program, newly organized businesses in a commercial location with fewer than 10 employees, which open in the city, qualify for the waiver of the application, inspection, and occupational tax fees for their first year. An occupational tax license, more commonly known as a business license, is required for all commercial and home-based businesses by each local jurisdiction. The waiver program is intended to encourage business owners to consider the City of Woodstock as a favorable and encouraging environment to begin their business. Woodstock has been focusing on programs for a few years that help foster a business-friendly community to attempt to grow our employment base, said Mayor Donnie Henriques. From partnerships with the Cherokee Office of Economic Development and Chattahoochee Tech to establish the areas first coworking space to small business programming support through City supported agencies and nonprofits, we have seen an increase in the community of like-minded individuals looking to establish businesses in the area. We hope that the waiver of these fees is seen as a further incentive to take that next step here in Woodstock. The Citys first economic development plan, adopted in 2018, emphasizes the retainment and recruitment of small and medium sized businesses to help reverse the 93% out commute pattern identified by the consultants data. Woodstock currently has around 1,350 commercial businesses registered in the city limits. Approximately 50 businesses should qualify annually for the waiver program based on licenses issued over the previous year. The applicant must submit an incorporation of the business with the Secretary of State within the previous 12 months from the date of the occupational tax license application.For more information on starting a business in Woodstock or the waiver program, please call 770-592-6054 or visit WoodstockGa.gov.
to your business!