Take Action: Historic Tax Credit at Critical Moment
The fate of the federal government’s most significant investment in historic preservation is at a key point in the tax reform process.
Late last week, the Senate Finance Committee passed a tax reform bill that included an amendment by Senator Bill Cassidy that maintained the value of the credit at its current 20%.
Why is keeping the status quo a victory? Because the Finance Committee’s original tax reform proposal cut the credit in half to 10%. Still, the Senate version does somewhat reduce the value of the credit by requiring that it be redeemed over a five-year period rather than immediately after the project is placed in service. And the House version, which passed in a floor vote last week, eliminates the credit entirely.
Please join us in urging your senators and representatives to retain the historic tax credit at its current level of effectiveness so that this proven tool can continue to restore underutilized buildings, create local jobs, and revitalize older commercial districts.
The bill is expected to be voted on by the full Senate after the Thanksgiving holiday recess. Preservation voices are needed to ensure the full financial value of the existing credit is restored.
New York’s U.S. Senators have maintained their support for the Federal Historic Tax Credit, as have our Democratic Representatives and Republican Representatives Donovan, Faso, Stefanik, and Katko. If you contact those offices, please thank them for their support and encourage them to continue insisting that the Historic Tax Credit be a part of the final tax reform package. If you are located in Representative Collins, Tenney, or Reed’s district, please continue to contact them and urge them to support the Historic Tax Credit.
>>Click here to use a contact form provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Gift the gift of travel–Black Friday & Cyber Monday special
The holiday season has arrived, which means it’s time to think about gifts for your loved ones. A Landmark Society Travel Tour is a most thoughtful present – it requires no dusting or storage, and very little wrapping. It gives the gift of memories that will last a lifetime. If you’ve been on past tours, you know that we take care of every detail, and find special experiences for each trip.
March 21st through the 26th – Savannah Georgia and their exclusive Tour of Homes and Gardens. Just when we can’t take another week of winter, escape to this incredible City, replete with moss draped oaks shading city squares, trendy and traditional restaurants, and a Home and Garden Tour that attracted folks from across the nation. Five nights will enable you to see almost everything the city has to offer. The cost includes all transportation (including airfare) hotel, admissions and tours, and most meals. Due to airline regulations for group travel, the deadline for this trip is very soon! We must have registrations in place by December 18th.
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Book your trip between now (11/21) and 5:00 PM on Monday, 11/27 and receive 2 FREE 2018 House & Garden Tour tickets (a $50 value). You don’t need to do anything special–just send in your registration form and you’ll qualify!
>>Click here for complete Travel Tour information.
We need you to ROC the Day on 11/28
On November 28th, our community will come together to ROC the Day, and The Landmark Society hopes to make it a huge success. ROC the Day is a 24-hour giving opportunity to support all eligible not-for-profits in the nine-county Greater Rochester area. Community members are encouraged to visit ROCtheDay.org, a secure online giving platform, to contribute to any participating not-for-profit organization.
As in past years, all ROC the Day donations will be directed to our Preservation Grant Fund. This vital program provides pre-construction funding to help get preservation projects off the ground. Since we launched the program in 2012, we’ve provided over $60,000 to help save at-risk historic places in communities throughout our region. These places include town halls, houses of worship, community gathering spaces, cemeteries, schools, and more. >>Visit our website to learn how this program is helping save a Civil War Memorial building.