Idaho Business Advantage: Introduction

Building upon our previous analyses, our examination of Idaho's economic development strategies revealed a concerning trend favoring large businesses over small ones. However, a thorough analysis of the full spectrum of Idaho's business incentives, including the Idaho Business Advantage program and numerous other tax breaks and benefits, unveils an even more alarming reality: the state's economic development strategy is aggressively and almost exclusively tailored to attract, retain, and benefit large corporations, often at the expense of small businesses and Idaho taxpayers.

This comprehensive analysis of the Idaho Business Advantage provides further evidence supporting our overall findings and will demonstrate that Idaho's current approach to economic development is fundamentally misaligned with the realities of its business landscape. By focusing overwhelmingly on attracting and retaining large businesses, the state is neglecting the small businesses that are vital to its economic fabric and potentially undermining its long-term economic health.

This analysis aligns with and expands upon our examination of the Business Incentive Manual, providing a more detailed look at how these incentives work in practice.