On July 2, 2012,  Pennsylvania became the 30th state in the country to offer a state historic tax credit when Governor Tom Corbett signed HB 761 (an amendment to the Tax Reform Code) and enacted Act 85  (See page 103) that established the Historic Preservation Incentive Act.  This tax credit will be a companion to the very successful tax credit program. 

Preservation Pennsylvania thanks the General Assembly for the establishment of this program that will offer a 25% state tax credit for the rehabilitation of qualified income-producing buildings that are also using the federal tax credit. By leveraging the existing 20% federal tax credit with an additional 25% state credit, the program will help lure investment into Pennsylvania. Data show that states with state credits tend to have an advantage over states that do not have tax credits in attracting investment in historic rehabilitation.

Credit for moving this effort forward goes to Senator Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster, who introduced the legislation and continued championing for it throughout budget negotiations.  Representative Robert Freeman, D-Northampton, advocated for this legislation in the House and helped to move it to the finish line.  In the end, this program was estabished as part of the Commonwealth Budget in the Tax Reform Code.  

Efforts to establish this credit in Pennsylvania began in 1996 under the leadership of former State Representative Tom Tangretti, D-Westmoreland, who worked for the passage of this program until his retirement in 2008. Many groups and individuals worked to advocate for the passage of this program during the last 16 years. We thank each and every one of you for your efforts.  What’s Next?  The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Department of Economic and Community Development will develop the program guidelines. The credit goes into effect July 1, 2013.  Just like the federal program, this credit is issued after the project is completed. To start, the program is limited to $3 million annually with an individual project cap of $500,000. 

 

 

Talking Points

Preservation Pennsylvania is pleased to be part of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition who worked tirelessly to save vital funding that was proposed for elimination in the FY 2013 Commonwealth Budget.   See their press release below:

Renew Growing Greener Coalition Applauds Restoration of Recreation and Conservation Funding

(HARRISBURG, PA) The Renew Growing Greener Coalition, the largest coalition of conservation, recreation and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth, today applauded the restoration of funding for two key programs in the 2012-13 state budget.

Andrew Heath, executive director of the Coalition, issued the following statement:

“The Coalition applauds the decision to restore funding for our parks, trails, open space, waterways and family farms and thanks our lawmakers for recognizing the importance of investing in recreation, conservation and preservation.

“Restoring funding for Keytone and farmland preservation programs will help support our local and regional economies and will protect the quality of life that makes Pennsylvania a great place to live, work and visit.

“Elimination of these programs would have threatened the very fabric of the Commonwealth and put a greater burden on our local communities.

“After working closely with members of leadership, the Coalition thanks the House, Senate and Corbett administration for making the right decision to fund Keystone and farmland preservation and looks forward to working together to identify long-term solutions to ensure these and other critical conservation programs are sustainable in the future.”

About the Renew Growing Greener Coalition The Renew Growing Greener Coalition is the largest coalition of conservation, recreation and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth. More than 244 organizations, groups and businesses have signed the Coalition’s statement of support, and nearly 150 government entities, including 37 counties, have passed resolutions calling for a dedicated source of funding for the Growing Greener Environmental Stewardship Fund.

 

Please visit the Legislation We Are Watching page for current information on state and federal preservation-related legislation.

For the latest developments on national issues related to historic preservation, please go to:
Preservation Action's website at www.preservationaction.org

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