MN DEED Now Accepting Applicants for Minnesota Angel Tax Credit Program

Summer is in full swing and as you prepare to head to the cabin for the fourth of July, now is a good time to review exciting news for Minnesota entrepreneurs! After a several year hiatus, as of July 1, 2019, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) once again accepts applications from businesses, investors, and funds to participate in the Minnesota Angel Tax Credit program. If you are an avid follower of this blog (and you should be), you probably are already aware of the historical popularity of the Minnesota Angel Tax Credit and some of its limitations. If you are not a frequent reader or are new to the entrepreneurial scene in Minnesota, below are some highlights of the 2019 Angel Tax Credit program.

• Minnesota’s Angel Tax Credit provides a 25% credit to investors, or investment funds, that make equity investments in early stage companies (with a particular focus on high technology, new technology, or new proprietary products, processes, or services in select fields). 
• The maximum credit is $125,000 per person, per year ($250,000 if filing jointly) and the credit is both refundable and available to residents of other states and foreign countries. 
• For 2019, the Minnesota legislature allocated $10 million of tax credits for eligible investments. Until September 30, 2019, $5 million of that $10 million is reserved for businesses owned by women or minorities, or for businesses located outside of the seven county metro area. Beginning on September 30, 2019, any portion of that $5 million that has not been allocated will be made available for all other eligible investments.
• If you are planning to use the Minnesota Angel Tax Credit for an investment in 2019, you should plan on becoming qualified as soon as possible. Many companies are submitting applications now, and some have even delayed financings that would have been otherwise completed at this point in the year.

As a reminder, the process requires that the company be certified as a qualified business and that the investor also be certified as a qualified angel. Both of these steps require filings with DEED. Once the company and investor are both certified, they must jointly submit a credit allocation application. 

All of the requirements for becoming a qualified business or angel investor are listed on DEED’s website, together with links to all of the forms.

So, unless your business is located outside of the seven county metro area or is woman- or minority-owned, in addition to celebrating Independence Day, you should also set aside time during the holiday week for Angel Tax Credit preparations. Otherwise, you may have to wait until October.