Information technology companies that may have glanced at Virginia in the past may want to take a harder look. Virginia now offers a great advantage for IT and the growing cluster of data centers already located throughout the Commonwealth. The Virginia General Assembly recently unanimously passed a bill that enables companies to receive an exemption from the Virginia Retail Sales and Use Tax for computer equipment purchased or leased for use in a data center.

There are a few stipulations, of course. The equipment must be purchased or leased between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2020. The data center must be located in a Virginia locality and generate at least $150 million in capital investment after July 1, 2009. Last but not least, at least 50 new jobs must be created that pay one and one half times the prevailing average wage in the locality.

This legislation has already proven to be a valuable tool in recruiting and retaining existing data centers. VEDP issued a press release announcing Virginia’s new advantage to industry pubs that generated immediate inquiries.

Moments after the release was sent, Data Center Knowledge headlined the news on its Web site: http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/05/13/virginia-passes-data-center-tax-incentives/. And the phone lines in VEDP’s Business Development Division received multiple calls from companies that read the release. IT and data centers are definitely a strong growth sector of Virginia’s economy. We look forward to continuing to look for ways that assist with financial efficiencies and operational savings for these businesses. 

For more information about how VEDP can assist your company, visit us at YesVirginia.org or call (804) 545-5600.