New Jersey: tax incentives, credits and advisors
New Jersey runs much of its business incentive system through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and several of its credits, including the film, brownfield and Emerge credits, can be sold to other taxpayers at a minimum share of face value.
Facts checked 2026-11-02 against the official sources linked below.
Below are the major New Jersey incentives we could verify against an official source, grouped by type. This is not an exhaustive list of every state program. Credits flagged Transferable can be sold or assigned to another taxpayer under state rules; see transferable state tax credits. Each row shows the date we last checked it.
New Jersey film and media incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act credit | Credit (corporation business or gross income tax) | Film and digital media productions approved by NJEDA, with a tax clearance certificate | Film: 35% of qualified expenses (30% for goods and services used within 30 miles of Columbus Circle); studio partner and film-lease projects 40%. Digital media: 30% (35% with southern NJ vendors), $30 million a year. 7-year carryforward | Transferable: Yes; the initial applicant can sell credits through an NJEDA transfer certificate for at least 75% of face value, to buyers with NJ corporation business, gross income or insurance premiums tax | No | Active for tax years ending before July 1, 2039 | NJ Division of Taxation, Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act Credit; NJEDA, Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program FAQ (2026) Last verified 2026-10-26 |
New Jersey historic and building rehabilitation incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Property Reinvestment Program | Credit | Rehabilitation projects of identified historic properties with a financing gap, approved by NJEDA before construction starts | 50% of rehabilitation cost up to $8 million; 60% up to $12 million in qualified incentive tracts or government-restricted municipalities; 45% up to $50 million for transformative properties | Transferable: Yes; one sale through an NJEDA tax credit transfer certificate, for at least 85% of the transferred amount (75% for new LIHTC residential projects with an approved plan); the buyer cannot sell it again | No refund provision; unused credit can be transferred or carried over for the next 9 accounting or privilege periods | Accepting applications | NJEDA, Historic Property Reinvestment Program; NJEDA, Historic Property Reinvestment Program FAQ (December 2025); N.J. P.L.2020, c.156 (New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020); N.J. P.L.2024, c.61 Last verified 2026-11-02 |
New Jersey brownfield and redevelopment incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program | Credit (one-time) | Developers, including nonprofits and municipalities, remediating a brownfield they did not contaminate | 60% of remediation costs up to $8 million; 80% up to $12 million in government-restricted municipalities or qualified incentive tracts; 100% up to the same caps for solar on closed landfills | Transferable: Yes; can be sold for at least 85% of value (75% for LIHTC projects) | No refund provision; one-time credit applied in the privilege period in which it is awarded, with no carryforward (unused credit can instead be sold) | Not accepting applications until new rules are issued (expected 2026) | NJEDA, Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive Program; NJEDA, BRIP Overview 2026; N.J. P.L.2024, c.61 Last verified 2026-11-02 |
| Food Desert Relief tax credit | Credit | Supermarkets and grocery stores in designated food desert communities, awarded by NJEDA | Up to $40 million a year program-wide in credits, loans and grants | Transferable: Limited: NJEDA itself may sell part of a year's credits (for at least 85% of value) to fund grants and loans; there is no sale provision for awardees | No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 10 privilege periods (corporation business tax) or 10 taxable years (gross income tax) | Active | NJEDA, Food Desert Relief Program; N.J. P.L.2020, c.156 (New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020) Last verified 2026-11-02 |
| Remediation credit | Credit (corporation business tax) | Taxpayers that remediated a contaminated site, with costs certified by the Department of Environmental Protection (P.L.2003, c.296; Form 314) | 100% of certified eligible remediation cost, limited to 50% of the tax otherwise due; unused credit carried forward 5 privilege periods | Not stated | No refund provision | Expired for new costs: remediation had to be performed in privilege periods beginning on or after January 1, 2004 and before January 1, 2007 | NJ Division of Taxation, Corporation Business Tax Credits and Incentives Last verified 2026-11-02 |
New Jersey jobs, investment and enterprise zones incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerge Program | Credit (per job, annual) | Businesses in priority sectors or targeted communities that invest capital and create or retain jobs | Base $500 to $4,000 per new job a year, up to $8,000 with bonuses (plus $1,000 with a labor harmony agreement) | Transferable: Yes; for at least 85% of value, or surrender to the Division of Taxation for 90% | No refund on the return; NJEDA says credits can be surrendered to the Division of Taxation for 90% of their value, or sold for at least 85% | Extended to March 1, 2029 | NJEDA, Emerge Program Last verified 2026-11-02 |
| Sheltered workshop tax credit | Credit (corporation business tax) | Taxpayers that employ qualified persons with disabilities at sheltered workshops (P.L.2005, c.318; Form 317) | 20% of salary and wages paid to each qualified person in the privilege period, up to $1,000 per person | Not stated | No refund provision; unused credit carried over 7 privilege periods | Active | NJ Division of Taxation, Corporation Business Tax Credits and Incentives Last verified 2026-11-02 |
New Jersey research and development incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research and development tax credit | Credit (corporation business tax) | Corporations with qualified research expenses for research conducted in New Jersey | 10% of qualified research expenses over the base amount plus 10% of basic research payments; 7-year carryover | Transferable: Limited: new or expanding emerging technology and biotechnology companies can surrender unused credits to other corporation business taxpayers through the CBT Tax Benefit Certificate Transfer Program | No | Active | NJ Division of Taxation, Tax Bulletin TB-114; NJ Division of Taxation, Corporation Business Tax Credits and Incentives Last verified 2026-10-26 |
New Jersey angel and venture investment incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel investor tax credit | Credit | Investors in New Jersey emerging technology businesses with fewer than 150 employees, at least 75% in NJ | 35% of the qualified investment (40% for certified M/WBE businesses or Opportunity Zone or New Markets census tracts); up to $500,000 per investment; $25 million annual program cap | Not stated | Yes for individuals; corporations may take a refund or a 15-year carryforward | Active | NJ Division of Taxation, Corporation Business Tax Credits and Incentives; NJEDA, Angel Investor Tax Credit Program Last verified 2026-10-26 |
| New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Program tax credit | Credit (corporation business tax, bought at auction) | Corporations that buy credits in an NJEDA auction; the proceeds fund the Innovation Evergreen Fund, which co-invests with qualified venture firms in New Jersey startups | NJEDA may auction up to $300 million of credits in total; each bid must be for at least $1 million of credits at no less than 85% of face value, and buyers commit to serve on the Evergreen Advisory Board and mentor portfolio companies. NJEDA reported $46,918,700 of unallocated fund capital as of October 13, 2026 | Transferable: Yes; a purchaser can get a tax credit transfer certificate and sell or assign it once; 10% of the consideration is remitted to the State, and the buyer cannot transfer it again | No refund provision; unused credit carried forward 7 privilege periods | Active (amended by P.L.2023, c.118 and P.L.2025, c.80; program rules not yet updated, per NJEDA) | N.J. P.L.2020, c.156 (New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020); NJEDA, New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Program Last verified 2026-11-02 |
New Jersey housing incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspire Program | Credit (gap financing) | Commercial, mixed-use and residential real estate projects with a financing gap in designated incentive areas | Up to 85% of eligible costs (to $120 million) in Atlantic City, Trenton and Paterson; lower percentages elsewhere, e.g. 60% up to $90 million for LIHTC projects | Transferable: Yes; through a tax credit transfer certificate, sold or assigned in amounts of at least $25,000 for at least 85% of the transferred credit (75% for LIHTC new residential projects; lower with an approved plan for new residential); the buyer cannot sell it again | Not stated | Paused: NJEDA stopped accepting new applications on July 23, 2026 and says it expects to reopen this fall with revised criteria | NJEDA, Aspire Program; N.J. P.L.2020, c.156 (New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020) Last verified 2026-11-02 |
| Neighborhood revitalization state tax credit | Credit (corporation business tax) | Businesses contributing to nonprofit sponsors of approved neighborhood preservation and revitalization plans | Up to 100% of the approved contribution to a qualified project, up to $1 million per business a year (applications of at least $25,000); $15 million program-wide per state fiscal year (SFY2025 guide); no carryover, unused credit is forfeited | No sale or transfer provision; the credit is applied by the business entity that received the tax credit certificate | No | Active | NJ Division of Taxation, Corporation Business Tax Credits and Incentives; NJ Division of Taxation, Form GIT-311 instructions; NJ DCA, NRTC Program guide for business entities (SFY2025) Last verified 2026-11-02 |
Advisors located in New Jersey
- Cost Recovery Solutions Tinton Falls, NJ
- EisnerAmper Iselin, NJ
- MVO Cost Segregation Princeton, NJ
Listed alphabetically by the location on each advisor's public listing; not a recommendation. Many firms also serve clients in other states.
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Related guides
- New Jersey tax credits you can buy or transfer: film, HPRP, brownfield, Emerge, Aspire and Evergreen
- How to reduce taxes on W-2 income in 2026: what works, what usually does not
- The solar investment tax credit in 2026: what current law says after the 2025 tax act
- How to find and vet a tax mitigation advisor: credentials, questions and red flags
- How state tax credit transfers work: minimum prices, notices, buyer limits and state examples
- Pass-through entity tax and the SALT cap in 2026: what changed and what did not
Common questions
Can New Jersey film tax credits be sold?
Yes. The initial applicant can sell film and digital media credits through an NJEDA transfer certificate for at least 75% of face value.
How large is the New Jersey angel investor tax credit?
35% of the qualified investment (40% in certain cases), up to $500,000 per investment, with a $25 million annual program cap.
What is the minimum price to buy a New Jersey tax credit?
Film and digital media credits can be sold for no less than 75% of face value; HPRP, brownfield, Emerge, Aspire and Evergreen credits generally for no less than 85%, and the buyer cannot resell.
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Education only; not tax, legal or investment advice. State rules change; confirm with the official source and a qualified professional.