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 exteriors
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 5 p.m. on April 2, 2018. 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, 2017.
View a short video about the Historic Tax Credit program offered by the Montgomery County Planning Department Historic Preservation Office. Download the tax credit 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.
Background on 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. Since 2013, owners of properties listed in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation are eligible to receive 25 percent of documented improvement costs for exterior maintenance, restoration or preservation work. The approved credit is applied to a property owner’s tax bill.
In 2017, the Historic Preservation Commission approved tax credits for 225 projects (a 25 percent increase over 2016), representing more than $2 million of investment in historic properties.
For more information about filing a tax credit application, please contact Michael Kyne, Planner Coordinator of the Historic Preservation Office at the Montgomery County Department of Planning (telephone: 301-563-3403); email: Michael.Kyne@montgomeryplanning.org.