Florida considering historic tax credit
Did you know that Florida only has a federal historic tax and not a local one for historic homeowners?
Filed as house House Bill 499 and Senate Bill 288, The Main Street Tourism and Historic Revitalization Act” would provide a tax credit of up to 20 percent of total eligible costs for rehabilitation of a certified historic structure and a tax credit of up to 30 percent of total eligible costs for rehabilitation of a certified historic structure that is physically located within the official district boundaries of an active, certified Florida Main Street community.
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation has identified ways for you to help:
Call or email your state representative and ask them to sign on to Rep. Stark's House Bill 499 as a cosponsor. As we continue our advocacy efforts, we will be seeking bipartisan support through cosponsors. You can locate your state representative here. Because we want every House member’s support don't feel limited to contacting just your representative, please contact any House member you may know and ask them to sign on as a cosponsor House Bill 499.
Call or email your state senator and ask them to sign on to Senator DiCeglie’s Senate Bill 288 as a cosponsor. The same as the House Bill, we need as many Senate cosponsors as possible. You can locate your state senator here.”
You can copy and paste the message below to send as emails to your representative and senator. Or, if you would like, feel free to share your own message about why a state historic tax credit is important for Florida's historic places.
Historic places are a vital part of Florida's story. They build and strengthen communities, increase wellbeing, support local economies and encourage tourism. They can be part of the solution for affordable housing, place building, driving main street business and lowering our carbon footprint. To make all this happen, Florida needs an economic incentive to make preservation a viable solution for our historic places.
I am writing you today to ask you to cosponsor the Main Street Tourism and Historic Revitalization Act. This historic preservation initiative is a non-partisan solution to preserving our state's historic places. Currently, Florida is one of only 11 states that does not offer a historic preservation tax credit.
While this Act benefits all of Florida, it is especially important for Florida's Main Street communities, which would see a 30 percent tax credit for eligible preservation and rehabilitation costs. It would be an important tool to strengthening the Main Streets which are at Florida's heart.
Please consider joining your colleagues in sponsoring the Main Street Tourism and Historic Revitalization Act House Bill 499 and Senate Bill 288.
