Appeals to the IMIT By-law 1207-2018 have been resolved and a final order issued by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on October 7, 2022. The information below has been updated accordingly.
Toronto’s Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) business incentive helps to reduce business costs. The IMIT Program was approved unanimously by Toronto City Council and supports new building construction and/or building expansion in targeted sectors and areas across the city.
Eligible developments will benefit from a grant of 60 per cent of the increase in the municipal taxes attributable to the eligible development over a 10-year period. This can be extended to a 12-year period when combined with Brownfield Remediation Tax Assistance (BRTA).
For targeted sectors and eligible development located within an Urban Growth Centre identified on Map 2 of the Toronto Official Plan, excluding lands within the Downtown and Central Waterfront, enhanced grants will be provided equal to a maximum of 70 per cent of the Municipal Tax Increment over a 10-year period. When part of a combined BRTA application, the incentive increases to 77 per cent over a 12-year period.
The Community Improvement Plan (1207-2018) that enables the IMIT Property Tax Incentive Program states the following:
Local Employment: The applicant or user of the property must agree to collaborate with the City to promote local employment. This will include a local employment plan that will identify opportunities for local hiring and/or training and document how the applicant or property user will utilize City endorsed or sponsored employment programs. It is expected that the employment plan will span the term of the incentive and that outcomes will be tracked and documented.
Starting October 1, 2019, a Council-approved points-based system has been implemented as a pilot program to provide greater clarity and increased ease of use for IMIT recipients and property users.
The system provides IMIT recipients and property users with a menu of options of City-endorsed local hiring and training activities from which to build their Local Employment Plan. Each option has a corresponding point value and tracking indicator.
Grant recipients are provided with an expected points value proportionate to the grant amount, which is to be achieved over the grant period and/or during building construction.
Local hiring and training outcomes will be reported through an online form by the recipient and made public through the City’s Open Data platform.
For more information, view the full background file.
Additional webinars will be held as needed. To be added to future mailing lists or for more information, please contact incentives@toronto.ca.
General grants and enhanced grants target the following sectors and uses:
Biomedical: pharmaceutical, bio-technology product, or medical device manufacturing and/or scientific research and development related to the creation of products, processes and services designed to improve health. Does not include activities related to patient health care such as doctor’s offices, clinics, diagnostic labs or hospitals.
Creative Industries: industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property, including
Live/work units are excluded.
Manufacturing: fabricating, processing, assembling, packaging, producing or making goods or commodities including ancillary repair, storage, wholesaling or office uses.
Tourism Attractions: a facility or complex, excluding a stadium, an arena, or a Retail Use, that must demonstrate by way of a business plan:
Broadcasting: radio, television and Internet broadcasting undertaken within studios and associated facilities but not including Major Film Studios.
Call Centre: an establishment primarily engaged in receiving and/or making telephone calls for others generally for the purpose of soliciting or providing information, product and service promotion, taking orders, and raising funds.
Computer Systems Design and Services: provision of expertise in the planning and design of computer systems and of other technical computer-related services.
Convergence Centres: a facility that must demonstrate by way of a business plan that it
Film Studio Complex: premises used for producing motion pictures with a minimum GFA of 7,500 square metres; and in addition may include:
Food and Beverage Wholesaling: premises used for the sale of food and beverages to retailers or other businesses, but not including the sale of food and beverages directly to the public. No retail operations or warehouse clubs will be eligible for incentives, even if ancillary to the main use.
Incubators: a facility that must demonstrate by way of a business plan that it
Information Services and Data Processing: gathering, preparation, transformation, processing and dissemination of data, excluding call centres.
Office Building: a building in which at least 80 per cent of the ground floor area (GFA) is used for offices. With the exception of the Financial District, grants will be available for Office Buildings with a GFA equal to or greater than 5,000 square metres, or for office uses within a mixed-use building with a minimum contiguous GFA of 5,000 square meters.
Performing Arts: the organization, promotion, operation and presentation of live theatre and music and other performing arts within theatres and other arts facilities.
Scientific Research and Development: the conduct of original investigation, undertaken on a systematic basis to gain new knowledge (research) and the application of research findings or other scientific knowledge for the creation of new or significantly improved products or processes (experimental development), including use of laboratory facilities used exclusively for these purposes.
Software Development: designing, writing, modifying and testing software.
Transformative Project: a large development that must be approved by City Council as a Transformative Project and must demonstrate the following attributes by way of a business plan:
The program applies to the City of Toronto Community Improvement Project Area, which comprises all of the City of Toronto. For eligible development located within an Urban Growth Centre, identified on Map 2 of the Official Plan, excluding lands within the Downtown and Central Waterfront, enhanced grants will be provided equal to a maximum of 70 per cent of the Municipal Tax Increment over a 10-year period, or 77 per cent where combined with brownfield remediation tax assistance.
For Focus Area A (King-Liberty SmartTrack Station Area) IMIT grants will be incrementally reduced between 2020 and 2028. For Focus Area B (Queen/Carlaw SmartTrack Station Area) IMIT grants will be incrementally reduced between 2023 and 2031.
For Focus Area A (King-Liberty SmartTrack Station Area), grant applications for sites with above grade building permits issued after December 31, 2028, will not be eligible for any portion of the grant. For Focus Area B (Queen/Carlaw SmartTrack Station Area), grant applications for sites with above grade building permits issued after December 31, 2031, will not be eligible for any portion of the grant.
See Appendix 3 of the Community Improvement Plan (1207-2018) for more information.
A program administration fee of 30 cents per square metre of IMIT eligible gross floor area will be charged starting with the 2019 payment year for all existing and new IMIT properties. The fee will be based on the eligible gross floor area of each approved development. This fee will apply to every year of the grant period. The fee is only applicable to eligible projects receiving a grant or a grant in combination with Brownfield Remediation Tax Assistance. Projects receiving Brownfield Remediation Tax Assistance only will not be subject to the fee. This administrative fee was approved by Council in 2018 and will enable the IMIT program administration to operate in a more efficient and responsive manner.