Development & Tax Incentives

Incentives That Make Projects Pencil Out

Development incentives — tax abatements, tax increment financing (TIF), opportunity zone benefits, and public-private partnership structures — can make the difference between a project that pencils out and one that doesn't. At Myers & Shah, we help developers, property owners, and investors identify, negotiate, and secure the incentive programs that fit their projects in Washington, DC and Virginia.

Our approach is grounded in advanced tax training and real-world deal structuring. Our founding partner holds an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center and has structured incentive arrangements across multiple jurisdictions and asset classes.

What We Help With

• DC Tax Abatement Applications and Negotiations
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District Formation and Bond Structuring
• Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) Fund Formation and Compliance
• Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreements
• Qualified High Technology Company (QHTC) Tax Benefits in DC
• Historic Tax Credit Structuring (Federal and State)
• Development Agreement Negotiation with Municipal Authorities
• Public-Private Partnership (P3) Legal Structuring
• Incentive Compliance Monitoring and Reporting

DC and Virginia Incentive Programs

The District of Columbia offers several powerful incentive programs for real estate development. Tax abatements can reduce or eliminate property taxes for a defined period, improving a project's operating cash flow and debt coverage. TIF districts capture incremental tax revenue to fund infrastructure and other public improvements that support a development. And DC's QHTC program provides significant tax advantages for technology companies that locate in the District.

Virginia offers its own set of tools, including enterprise zone incentives, technology zone designations, and local tax exemption programs. We help clients navigate these programs and structure deals that maximize available benefits while maintaining compliance.

Tax-Driven Structuring

Incentive deals are fundamentally tax transactions. The legal structure — how the abatement is documented, how the TIF bonds are issued, how the opportunity zone investment is timed — determines whether the incentive delivers its intended value. We bring the tax sophistication to ensure that incentive structures are not only legally sound but financially optimized.

Why Myers & Shah

Most law firms approach development incentives from either a real estate perspective or a tax perspective. We bring both. Our founding partner's background spans Big Four tax advisory, federal government service, and private practice across multiple jurisdictions. That combination allows us to see incentive deals from every angle — regulatory, financial, and transactional — and structure them accordingly.