The Hidden Gem in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) The Opportunity Zones Initiative was established by Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 as an innovative approach to spurring long-term private sector investments in low-income rural and urban communities nationwide. Suddenly, our nation has a brand-new path to bolstering and revitalizing distressed businesses and communities in approximately 8,800 approved areas known as Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs). Through Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOFs) applied in QOZs, we all have a chance to work together to: 1) benefit from the capital gains tax breaks 2) make money and 3) positively impact low-income urban and rural QOZ communities and the lives of millions of people. Opportunity Investing, by Jim White, PhD-bestselling author of What's My Purpose? A Journey of Personal and Professional Growth and CEO and founder of JL White International, LLC-explores how to use the TCJA to create investment opportunities in QOZs through QOFs. These opportunity funds can improve the quality of life for the citizens in QOZs and help companies in these areas succeed. If businesses in QOZs thrive, the communities will have more jobs and better salaries to offer. More people will want to relocate to these areas, which will increase real estate values and breathe new life into local shops and stores. When residents and business owners are doing well, they spend more money on beautifying their homes, storefronts, public buildings, streets, parks, and monuments. Their infrastructure will improve, crime will decrease, and better health care will be available for residents. Spread out over many communities, QOFs can help our nation flourish as a whole. Opportunity knocks: QOFs are a win-win-win for investors, business owners, and citizens of urban and rural QOZ areas.
