Federal tax incentives are available to stimulate private investment in the rehabilitation of historic structures. The State Historic Preservation Office in the Michigan Historical Center, Department of History, Arts and Libraries, administers provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 in partnership with the National Park Service.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 establishes:

• a 20% tax credit for the substantial, certified rehabilitation of certified historic structures for commercial, industrial and rental residential purposes, and a 10% tax credit for the substantial rehabilitation for nonresidential purposes of buildings built before 1936; and
  
• a straight-line depreciation period of 27.5 years for residential property and 31.5 years for nonresidential property for the depreciable basis of the rehabilitated building reduced by the amount of the tax credit.

A certified historic structure is any building that is listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places, or located in a registered historic distinct and certified as being of historic significance to the district.

A registered historic district is any district that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, or designated under a local ordinance under Michigan Public Act 169 of 1970, as amended, which has been certified as substantially meeting all the requirements for listing of districts in the National Register.

A certified rehabilitation is any rehabilitation of a certified historic structure that is certified as being consistent with the historic character of the property and, where applicable, the district in which it is located. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are used to determine whether or not the historical character of the building is preserved through the process of rehabilitation.

More information is included in the sites below.

If the links below to National Park Service sites produce error messages, copy the revelvant URL into your browser address. This should successfully open the sites.

Links to a variety of free viewers and players (including Adobe Reader, which is required to view PDF files) are available at this site.

• About the Tax Credit (National Park Service)
• Tax Incentives Home Page (National Park Service)
• Evaluation of Eligibility Form (2 pages)
  [PDF]  [Word]
• NPS Application Instruction and Form (National Park Service)
• NPS Supplemental Information Guide [PDF]
• NPS Transmittal Checklist [PDF]
• MI Supplemental Application Instructions (4 pages)
  [PDF]  [Word]
• Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (National Park Service)
• Combining the Federal and State Incentives
• Federal Project Status Check (National Park Service)
• IRS Program Information  (National Park Service)
• IRS Forms  (U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service)
  Please note: This link will take you to the IRS homepage. You will need to use the "Search Forms and Publications for..." function to locate form 3468.

For information about any of the programs described on this site, write the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, Michigan Historical Center, P.O. Box 30740, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing, MI 48909-8240, or contact the appropriate staff person.

Updated 2/27/2006

Michigan Historical Center, Department of History, Arts and Libraries
Use and Reproduction Information [PDF]
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