Residential Rehabilitation Tax Credits: Breaking Down an Underutilized Resource

Historic Charleston Foundation is fortunate to have a passionate group of co-stewards of more than 400 easement and covenant properties. In support of the dedicated group of homeowners, the Foundation has offered a series of free programs to explore complex topics that owners of historic properties face each day. On September 17, HCF was joined by Kemp Lewis, preservationist and dedicated homeowner with first-hand experience navigating the tax credit process, and Brittany LaVelle Tulla, Architectural Historian and Owner of BLV Preservation, for the second program in the 2025 Easement Education Series.

Rehabilitation tax credits: What are they? What qualifies? How can you use them? 

There's a lot to unpack from the robust presentation, but here are a few of our key takeaways: 

• This program is designed to help owners of qualified historic homes offset expenses to maintain and repair their historic properties.
• A large variety of preservation focused repairs qualify for tax credits.
• Qualifying work includes repairs to historic roofs, shutters, porches, exterior walls, windows, doors, plaster, and even HVAC!
• This is a severely underutilized resource for homeowners — in FY2024, there were only SEVEN completed and approved rehabilitation tax credit projects across the entire state of South Carolina.

Dive into the full presentation HERE

Go straight to the source:

• Learn more about Rehabilitation Tax Credits and access necessary forms on their website HERE.