TIF is an acronym that stands for Tax Increment Financing, which is a funding mechanism that many cities and states use to finance development projects. When a TIF district is established, the increased property tax revenues generated by the development are used to pay for the project, rather than being distributed to local governments for general use. Some synonyms for TIF include Increment Financing, Tax Allocation Districts, and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones. While the specifics of each system may vary from location to location, the overall goal is to use tax revenues to finance economic development and revitalization projects, with the hope of creating jobs and spurring economic growth.