Arts & Cultural District Incentive

The City of Fredericksburg has established an Arts and Cultural District in an effort to increase the awareness and support for the arts and cultural communities and to provide incentives for qualifying businesses to remain and locate in the district.

Definitions

A new Ordinance in 2020 established an expanded district, defined the boundary, which businesses qualify and the amount and term of the incentives. Qualifying businesses include visual arts, dance, media arts and music studios and places of instruction, art and sculpture galleries, museums, performing arts venues, including live music, theatre, dance and opera and arts offices.

Incentives

  • Arts and cultural businesses - annual business license tax reduction maximum of $250 for ten years
  • Non-arts businesses that host year-round, rotating art exhibits - annual business license tax reduction maximum of $250 for ten years

Qualifications

To qualify for the tax incentives, each business must submit an annual application to the Department of Economic Development and Tourism by February 15 to confirm eligibility upon review by the Commissioner of the Revenue's office. Once approved, the business will be entitled to the business license tax reduction on its business license tax application to the Commissioner of the Revenue.  Qualifying businesses new or existing must still submit their annual business license application no later than March 1 and submit payment no later than March 15 to the Commissioner of the Revenue.  If these dates are not meet the business will be disqualified from the incentive for the current year.

Resources

To read the ordinance establishing the district, look at the district map and fill out the application to qualify for economic incentives, please see the following: