Downtown Houston offers a favorable tax structure, friendly climate and numerous incentives for businesses, creating long-term savings opportunities.

Business Climate
The biggest incentives for locating downtown include: the extensive labor force, with employees drawn from a larger pool of Houstonians than from any other subdistrict; employee satisfaction with transit service, retail and restaurant amenities; and business efficiencies due to the concentration of business and government.

Tax Abatement
Houston and Harris County may offer up to 100% abatement on property taxes on buildings, structures, fixed machinery, equipment and related fixed improvements.

The WorkSource-Gulf Coast Workforce Board
The WorkSource is a nonprofit entity that assists employers in finding solutions for their employment needs, helping them match those needs with the region's talent pool. The WorkSource matches qualified workers with key positions, helps with workplace restructuring efforts and provides access to education and skills training for incumbent workers, all at no cost to the employee or employer.

Employer Tax Credits
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) encourages employers to take advantage of federal tax savings available through Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) and Welfare-to-Work (WtW) programs. WOTC is a federal tax credit of up to $2,400 per employee for employers who hire from targeted groups of job seekers. WtW offers up to $8,500 per employee in tax credits to employers who hire from families that have received long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.

The Gulf Coast Consortium
The Gulf Coast Consortium is composed of nine two-year, post-secondary institutions, including Houston Community College. Advisory committees, chosen from business and industrial leadership in each community, provide vital direction to these programs. Members make curricular recommendations, assist in program evaluation and provide essential data about manpower needs. The Consortium also works to ensure that its students are able to transfer their credits to area universities.

Relocation Assistance
Relocation assistance can be provided by Central Houston, Inc. Services can include relocation packages for employees, briefings in Houston or at their current location of employment and spouse re-employment assistance.

Out-of-State Tuition Waiver
New Texas residents must reside within the state without attending an institution of higher learning for 12 months before he or she can pay the lower in-state tuition. With the out-of-state tuition waiver program, Central Houston, Inc. works with the Texas Department of Economic Development (TDED) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating board so that the out-of-state tuition can be waived for companies creating new jobs in Texas. The process takes only two to three weeks.

Permitting
The City of Houston's One Stop Business Center works to minimize red tape and make it easier to expand and relocate to any city in the Houston region. Fast-track permitting can be arranged. This service, provided in conjunction with the developer, permitting agencies and economic development organizations, can save time and money.