EDGE Tax Credit
The Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program provides Illinois income tax credits against state withholding for businesses that create or retain jobs. Amended by HB2755 / P.A. 104-0006 (June 2025) to expand withholding-credit elections and require 10-day public posting of EDGE agreement terms.
Check an Address — Free Snapshot
Compare the geocoded point for a Chicago address with the boundary used to screen EDGE Tax Credit. A match is a location signal; review the current program source for the boundary's role and remaining criteria.
Published criteria — confirm with Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois business; underserved-area projects qualify for enhanced credit
- Most industries qualify; focus on job creation
- Must create or retain jobs and make capital investment
EDGE Tax Credit is screened against the State Incentive Zone (EDGE/REV/MICRO/Data Center) boundary. A geocoded point that intersects that boundary is a location signal, not a determination — review the current program source for the boundary's role and any remaining criteria. A single address can fall inside several overlapping incentive boundaries at once.
Boundaries are precise and change over time, so whether a specific address falls inside a mapped zone always depends on that exact address. The fastest way to check is to run a free snapshot for the parcel you have in mind — mapped coverage is a location signal, not an eligibility determination.
The state-incentive zone overlay shown on the map is a high-unemployment census-tract proxy, not an official EDGE zone designation. EDGE is project-by-project, not zone-based.
Range on file · 50% withholding (new hires) / 25% (retained) / +25% underserved-area boost
Current published terms as of 2026-08-09
- +50% of state withholding for new jobs created
- +25% of state withholding for retained jobs
- +Additional 25% boost for projects in underserved areas (total up to 75% on new-hire withholding)
- +10% credit on new employee training costs
- +Tier I: up to 10 years of benefits. Tier II: up to 15 years
- 1Submit EDGE application to Illinois DCEO
- 2Demonstrate job creation or retention plan
- 3Negotiate agreement terms with DCEO (terms publicly posted within 10 days of execution)
- 4Meet annual reporting requirements (IDOR Business Incentives Reporting)
Email CEO.EDGE@illinois.gov about EDGE eligibility
- EDGE application
- Business financial statements
- Job creation/retention projections
- Capital investment documentation
This page is a starting point, not eligibility, legal, or tax advice. Verify current requirements, deadlines, and boundaries with the administering agency before applying or spending money — program rules and funding change over time.
- EDGE Agreement Certification — DCEO
Negotiated agreement terms; DCEO posts terms publicly within 10 days.
- IDOR Business Incentives Reporting — Illinois Department of Revenue
- Web
- Visit site ↗
Last verified 2026-08-09
Federal Opportunity Zone incentive: investors who reinvest capital gains through a Qualified Opportunity Fund into a designated zone receive tax reductions scaled to how long the investment is held. Illinois' current zones remain active for investment; a new round of IL-nominated zones takes effect January 1, 2027 under OZ 2.0.
Illinois Enterprise Zones offer state and local tax incentives to stimulate economic growth in economically depressed areas, including sales tax exemptions on building materials, utility tax exemptions, and investment tax credits.
REV Illinois (Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois) provides project-by-project tax credits for businesses in the electric vehicle and renewable energy supply chain. Negotiated with DCEO across four investment/job tiers.
MICRO (Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity) supports semiconductor and microchip-related businesses with income tax credits, training, and infrastructure support. Codified at 35 ILCS 45.