Administered by the National Park Service and the Internal Revenue Service, the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit supports projects that rehabilitate income-producing historic buildings – commercial and industrial buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, residential rentals, etc. – while maintaining their historic character. Since the credit was enacted in 1976, over 43,000 completed projects have leveraged $89.97 billion in private investment in the rehabilitation of historic properties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many states also have created their own state historic rehabilitation credits.
The ACHP joined preservationists across the country in advocating for retention of the 20% historic rehabilitation tax credit when it was targeted for elimination during reform of the federal tax code in 2017. In the final legislation that was passed, the credit was retained, with a new phase-in requirement.
The following studies provide detailed documentation of the benefits of the federal and state historic rehabilitation tax credits.
Federal Credit
Annual Reports on the Federal Historic Tax Credit (2004-2023)
Catalyst for Change: The Federal Historic Tax Credit: Transforming Communities (2014)
State Credits
State Historic Tax Credit Resource Guide (2023)
State Historic Tax Credits: Opportunities for Affordable Housing and Sustainability (2023)
State Historic Tax Credits: Maximizing Preservation, Community Revitalization, and Economic Impact (2018) - Full Report and Executive Summary
- Delaware: The Delaware Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program: Good for the Economy, Good for the Environment, Good for Delaware’s Future (2010)
- Iowa: Iowa’s Historic Preservation and Cultural and Entertainment District Tax Credit Program Evaluation Study (2014)
- Kansas: Economic Impact of Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits in Kansas (2010)
- Louisiana: The Historic Tax Credit: Building the Future in Louisiana (2017)
- Louisiana: The Economic Impact of Louisiana’s Historic Tax Credit Program (2011)
- Maine: Economic Impact Report: The Economic and Fiscal Impact on Maine of Historic Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit (2011)
- Maryland: An Analysis of the Baltimore Historic Preservation Tax Credit (2020)
- Maryland: The Environmental and Energy Conservation Benefits of the Maryland Historic Tax Credit Program (2009)
- Ohio: The Federal Historic Tax Credit: Ohio: Creating Jobs, Building Communities, Preserving Heritage (2012)
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Historic Tax Credit: Impact on the Oklahoma Economy (2016)
- Pennsylvania: The Statewide Economic Impact of Federal Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit Projects in Southeastern Pennsylvania (2010)
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis (2005)
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis (2007)