Owners of historic properties may be eligible to receive a 25 percent tax credit for exterior home improvements, such as fixing a window, replacing a roof or repainting
SILVER SPRING, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is accepting applications from county property owners seeking a financial reward for faithfully restoring the exteriors of their historic structures. To be eligible for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit, the property must be listed in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation.
Owners must file an application, including documentation of the repairs that were done, with the historic preservation staff of the Planning Department by April 1, 2017. The Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission will then evaluate the applications to determine whether the scope of the work meets the eligibility requirements for the program. The work must have been completed no later than December 31, 2016.
View a short video about the Historic Tax Credit program offered by the Montgomery County Planning Department Historic Preservation Office. Download the application.
Repairs, restoration or preservation of exterior features of designated structures are considered for the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
-Painting.
-Repairing roofs or replacing them in-kind.
-Repairing windows, architectural trim or ornament.
-Uncovering and repairing original siding.
-Repointing brick or stone foundations or chimneys.
-Restoring a documented feature, such as a dormer or porch that was previously altered or removed.
-Repairing and maintaining outbuildings, such as barns and garages.
New additions and interior work are ineligible.
History of County Historic Preservation Tax Credit
The Montgomery County Council passed legislation in 1984 to create the historic preservation tax credit program for county-designated historic properties. Owners of properties listed in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation are eligible to receive a credit for documented expenses for exterior maintenance, restoration or preservation work.
In 2013, the County Council amended the tax law to increase the percentage of improvement costs for which a tax credit could be granted on a historic property from 10 percent to 25 percent for eligible work.
The Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) reviews the tax credit applications, certifies that project work is eligible for tax credits and forwards recommendations to the County Department of Finance for approval. The approved credit is applied to a property owner’s tax bill.
Any unused portion of this tax credit may be carried forward for as many as five years. A property not listed on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation at the time the work is undertaken will not be considered for the preservation tax credit.
In 2016, the Historic Preservation Commission approved tax credits for 98 projects, representing more than $2.8 million of investment in historic properties.
For more information about filing a tax credit application, please contact Scott Whipple of the Historic Preservation Office at the Montgomery County Department of Planning (telephone: 301-563-3404; email: scott.whipple@montgomeryplanning.org).