The IRS recently extended opportunity zone deadlines to provide
relief to projects facing delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but
the agency's silence on amendments to written plans may
jeopardize ventures that unexpectedly need to change course.
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued guidance providing
automatic deadline relief to qualified opportunity funds, allowing
opportunity zone businesses an extra 24 months to move cash into
projects. Normally if a fund operates a qualified opportunity zone
business, then no more than 5% of a qualified opportunity
zone's assets can be held as cash or other financial
property.
Final regulations provided a working capital safe harbor so QOZ
businesses can hold more money for up to 31 months if they create
and are "substantially consistent" in following a written
plan, including a schedule of how money will be used in future
development. The rules allow the government to extend that period
by another 24 months if