Program overview:
The Louisiana State Commercial Tax Credit Program is available for income-producing buildings that are at least 50 years old, located within a state-designated cultural district or a downtown development district, and undergoing a rehabilitation with qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QREs) exceeding $10,000. Under this program, 20 percent of the total QREs are returned to the owner in the form of a dollar-for-dollar credit on state income taxes.
Annual cap: $125 million.
Project cap: $5 million in credits per property owner per district per year.
Program details:
- Carry forward: 5 years.
- Sunset date: Jan. 1, 2026.
- For projects pursuing both federal and state credits, the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviews and comments on the applications, but the National Park Service (NPS) has the final decision-making authority regarding certification of the completed rehabilitation.
- For state-only projects, the SHPO has the final decision-making authority. Successful certification of the completed project, and obtaining the subsequent tax benefits, is dependent upon rehabilitation work that meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
Who can use the credit?
The Louisiana program is freely transferable.
Important links:
Louisiana State Commercial Tax Credit
Louisiana Commercial Rehabilitation Tax Credit Legislation
PlaceEconomics | 2017: The Historic Tax Credit: Building the Future in Louisiana
Novogradac Journal | SEP 2020: State Historic Tax Credits in the Year 2020
Novogradac Journal | JUL 2020: The Economics of State and Federal Historic Tax Credits: A Conversation with Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics
New Orleans, LA
201 St. Charles Avenue
Suite 2305
New Orleans, LA 70170