I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1172
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit against
income tax to individuals who rehabilitate historic homes or who are
the first purchasers of rehabilitated historic homes for use as a principal
residence.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 17, 1999
Mr. SHAW (for himself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut,
Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mrs.
MEEK of Florida, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. WEYGAND, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr.
SANDLIN, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BISHOP, Mrs.
KELLY, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. EHRLICH, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. GEJDEN-
SON, Mr. BLILEY, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. GOODE, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. SABO,
Ms. DELAURO, Mr. FROST, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. PRICE of
North Carolina, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. WALSH, Mr. OLVER,
Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. FORD, Mr. BONIOR,
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. GUT-
KNECHT, and Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide
a credit against income tax to individuals who rehabili-
tate historic homes or who are the first purchasers of
rehabilitated historic homes for use as a principal resi-
dence.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Historic Homeowner-
ship Assistance Act’’.
SEC. 
2. 
HISTORIC 
HOMEOWNERSHIP 
REHABILITATION
CREDIT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart A of part IV of sub-
chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (relating to nonrefundable personal credits) is
amended by inserting after section 25A the following new
section:
‘‘SEC. 25B. HISTORIC HOMEOWNERSHIP REHABILITATION
CREDIT.
‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—In the case of an individual,
there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed
by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to
20 percent of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures
made by the taxpayer with respect to a qualified historic
home.
‘‘(b) DOLLAR LIMITATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The credit allowed by sub-
section (a) with respect to any residence of a tax-
payer shall not exceed $40,000 ($20,000 in the case
of a married individual filing a separate return).
‘‘(2) CARRYFORWARD OF CREDIT UNUSED BY
REASON
OF
LIMITATION
BASED
ON
TAX
LIABIL-
ITY.—If the credit allowable under subsection (a) for
any taxable year exceeds the limitation imposed by
section 26(a) for such taxable year reduced by the
sum of the credits allowable under this subpart
(other than this section), such excess shall be carried
to the succeeding taxable year and added to the
credit allowable under subsection (a) for such suc-
ceeding taxable year.
‘‘(c) QUALIFIED REHABILITATION EXPENDITURE.—
For purposes of this section:
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified reha-
bilitation expenditure’ means any amount properly
chargeable to capital account—
‘‘(A) in connection with the certified reha-
bilitation of a qualified historic home, and
‘‘(B) for property for which depreciation
would be allowable under section 168 if the
qualified historic home were used in a trade or
business.
‘‘(2) 
CERTAIN
EXPENDITURES
NOT
IN-
CLUDED.—
‘‘(A) EXTERIOR.—Such term shall not in-
clude any expenditure in connection with the re-
habilitation of a building unless at least 5 per-
cent of the total expenditures made in the reha-
bilitation process are allocable to the rehabilita-
tion of the exterior of such building.
‘‘(B) OTHER
RULES
TO
APPLY.—Rules
similar to the rules of clauses (ii) and (iii) of
section 47(c)(2)(B) shall apply.
‘‘(3) MIXED USE OR MULTIFAMILY BUILDING.—
If only a portion of a building is used as the prin-
cipal residence of the taxpayer, only qualified reha-
bilitation expenditures which are properly allocable
to such portion shall be taken into account under
this section.
‘‘(d) CERTIFIED REHABILITATION.—For purposes of
this section:
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided in this subsection, the term ‘certified rehabili-
tation’ has the meaning given such term by section
47(c)(2)(C).
‘‘(2) FACTORS
TO
BE
CONSIDERED
IN
THE
CASE OF TARGETED AREA RESIDENCES, ETC.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of ap-
plying section 47(c)(2)(C) under this section
with respect to the rehabilitation of a building
to which this paragraph applies, consideration
shall be given to—
‘‘(i) the feasibility of preserving exist-
ing architectural and design elements of
the interior of such building,
‘‘(ii) the risk of further deterioration
or demolition of such building in the event
that certification is denied because of the
failure to preserve such interior elements,
and
‘‘(iii) the effects of such deterioration
or demolition on neighboring historic prop-
erties.
‘‘(B) BUILDINGS
TO
WHICH
THIS
PARA-
GRAPH APPLIES.—This paragraph shall apply
with respect to any building—
‘‘(i) any part of which is a targeted
area residence within the meaning of sec-
tion 143(j)(1), or
‘‘(ii) which is located within an enter-
prise or empowerment zone,
but shall not apply with respect to any building
which is listed in the National Register.
‘‘(3) APPROVED
STATE
PROGRAM.—The term
‘certified rehabilitation’ includes a certification made
by—
‘‘(A) a State Historic Preservation Officer
who administers a State Historic Preservation
Program approved by the Secretary of the Inte-
rior pursuant to section 101(b)(1) of the Na-
tional Historic Preservation Act, or
‘‘(B) a local government, certified pursuant
to section 101(c)(1) of the National Historic
Preservation Act and authorized by a State
Historic Preservation Officer, or the Secretary
of the Interior where there is no approved State
program),
subject to such terms and conditions as may be
specified by the Secretary of the Interior for the re-
habilitation of buildings within the jurisdiction of
such officer (or local government) for purposes of
this section.
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS AND SPECIAL RULES.—For pur-
poses of this section:
‘‘(1) QUALIFIED
HISTORIC
HOME.—The term
‘qualified historic home’ means a certified historic
structure—
‘‘(A) which has been substantially rehabili-
tated, and
‘‘(B) which (or any portion of which)—
‘‘(i) is owned by the taxpayer, and
‘‘(ii) is used (or will, within a reason-
able period, be used) by such taxpayer as
his principal residence.
‘‘(2) SUBSTANTIALLY
REHABILITATED.—The
term ‘substantially rehabilitated’ has the meaning
given such term by section 47(c)(1)(C); except that,
in the case of any building described in subsection
(d)(2), clause (i)(I) thereof shall not apply.
‘‘(3) PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE.—The term ‘prin-
cipal residence’ has the same meaning as when used
in section 121.
‘‘(4) CERTIFIED HISTORIC STRUCTURE.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘certified
historic structure’ has the meaning given such
term by section 47(c)(3).
‘‘(B) CERTAIN STRUCTURES INCLUDED.—
Such term includes any building (and its struc-
tural components) which is designated as being
of historic significance under a statute of a
State or local government, if such statute is
certified by the Secretary of the Interior to the
Secretary as containing criteria which will sub-
stantially achieve the purpose of preserving and
rehabilitating buildings of historic significance.
‘‘(5) ENTERPRISE OR EMPOWERMENT ZONE.—
The term ‘enterprise or empowerment zone’ means
any area designated under section 1391 as an enter-
prise community or an empowerment zone.
‘‘(6) REHABILITATION NOT COMPLETE BEFORE
CERTIFICATION.—A rehabilitation shall not be treat-
ed as complete before the date of the certification re-
ferred to in subsection (d).
‘‘(7) LESSEES.—A taxpayer who leases his
principal residence shall, for purposes of this section,
be treated as the owner thereof if the remaining
term of the lease (as of the date determined under
regulations prescribed by the Secretary) is not less
than such minimum period as the regulations re-
quire.
‘‘(8) TENANT-STOCKHOLDER IN COOPERATIVE
HOUSING
CORPORATION.—If the taxpayer holds
stock as a tenant-stockholder (as defined in section
216) in a cooperative housing corporation (as de-
fined in such section), such stockholder shall be
treated as owning the house or apartment which the
taxpayer is entitled to occupy as such stockholder.
‘‘(9) ALLOCATION OF EXPENDITURES RELAT-
ING TO EXTERIOR OF BUILDING CONTAINING COOP-
ERATIVE OR CONDOMINIUM UNITS.—The percentage
of the total expenditures made in the rehabilitation
of a building containing cooperative or condominium
residential units allocated to the rehabilitation of the
exterior of the building shall be attributed propor-
tionately to each cooperative or condominium resi-
dential unit in such building for which a credit
under this section is claimed.
‘‘(f) WHEN
EXPENDITURES
TAKEN
INTO
AC-
COUNT.—In the case of a building other than a building
to which subsection (g) applies, qualified rehabilitation ex-
penditures shall be treated for purposes of this section as
made—
‘‘(1) on the date the rehabilitation is completed,
or
‘‘(2) to the extent provided by the Secretary by
regulation, when such expenditures are properly
chargeable to capital account.
Regulations under paragraph (2) shall include a rule simi-
lar to the rule under section 50(a)(2) (relating to recap-
ture if property ceases to qualify for progress expendi-
tures).
‘‘(g) ALLOWANCE OF CREDIT FOR PURCHASE OF RE-
HABILITATED HISTORIC HOME.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a qualified
purchased historic home, the taxpayer shall be treat-
ed as having made (on the date of purchase) the ex-
penditures made by the seller of such home which
would be qualified rehabilitation expenditures had
such expenditures been made by the taxpayer and
had such home been a qualified historic home of the
taxpayer at the time such expenditures were made.
‘‘(2) 
QUALIFIED
PURCHASED
HISTORIC
HOME.—For purposes of this subsection, the term
‘qualified purchased historic home’ means any sub-
stantially rehabilitated certified historic structure
purchased by the taxpayer if—
‘‘(A) the taxpayer is the first purchaser of
such structure after the date rehabilitation is
completed, and the purchase occurs within 5
years after such date,
‘‘(B) the structure (or a portion thereof)
will, within a reasonable period, be the principal
residence of the taxpayer,
‘‘(C) no credit was allowed to the seller
under this section or section 47 with respect to
such rehabilitation, and
‘‘(D) the taxpayer is furnished with such
information as the Secretary determines is nec-
essary to determine the credit under this sub-
section.
‘‘(h) HISTORIC REHABILITATION MORTGAGE CREDIT
CERTIFICATE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The taxpayer may elect, in
lieu of the credit otherwise allowable under this sec-
tion, to receive a historic rehabilitation mortgage
credit certificate. An election under this paragraph
shall be made—
‘‘(A) in the case of a building to which
subsection (g) applies, at the time of purchase,
or
‘‘(B) in any other case, at the time reha-
bilitation is completed.
‘‘(2) HISTORIC
REHABILITATION
MORTGAGE
CREDIT
CERTIFICATE.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the term ‘historic rehabilitation mortgage
credit certificate’ means a certificate—
‘‘(A) issued to the taxpayer, in accordance
with procedures prescribed by the Secretary,
with respect to a certified rehabilitation,
‘‘(B) the face amount of which shall be
equal to the credit which would (but for this
subsection) be allowable under subsection (a) to
the taxpayer with respect to such rehabilitation,
‘‘(C) which may only be transferred by the
taxpayer to a lending institution (including a
nondepository institution) in connection with a
loan—
‘‘(i) that is secured by the building
with respect to which the credit relates,
and
‘‘(ii) the proceeds of which may not be
used for any purpose other than the acqui-
sition or rehabilitation of such building,
and
‘‘(D) in exchange for which such lending
institution provides to the taxpayer—
‘‘(i) a reduction in the rate of interest
on the loan which results in interest pay-
ment reductions which are substantially
equivalent on a present value basis to the
face amount of such certificate, or
‘‘(ii) if the taxpayer so elects with re-
spect to a specified amount of the face
amount of such a certificate relating to a
building—
‘‘(I) which is a targeted area res-
idence (within the meaning of section
143(j)(1)), or
‘‘(II) which is located in an en-
terprise or empowerment zone,
a payment which is substantially equivalent
to such specified amount to be used to re-
duce the taxpayer’s cost of purchasing the
building (and only the remainder of such
face amount shall be taken into account
under clause (i)).
‘‘(3) USE OF CERTIFICATE BY LENDER.—The
amount of the credit specified in the certificate shall
be allowed to the lender only to offset the regular
tax (as defined in section 55(c)) of such lender. The
lender may carry forward all unused amounts under
this subsection until exhausted.
‘‘(4) HISTORIC
REHABILITATION
MORTGAGE
CREDIT CERTIFICATE NOT TREATED AS TAXABLE IN-
COME.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
no benefit accruing to the taxpayer through the use
of a historic rehabilitation mortgage credit certifi-
cate shall be included in gross income for purposes
of this title.
‘‘(i) RECAPTURE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If, before the end of the 5-
year period beginning on the date on which the reha-
bilitation of the building is completed (or, if sub-
section (g) applies, the date of purchase of such
building by the taxpayer)—
‘‘(A) the taxpayer disposes of such tax-
payer’s interest in such building, or
‘‘(B) such building ceases to be used as the
principal residence of the taxpayer,
the taxpayer’s tax imposed by this chapter for the
taxable year in which such disposition or cessation
occurs shall be increased by the recapture percent-
age of the credit allowed under this section for all
prior taxable years with respect to such rehabilita-
tion.
‘‘(2) RECAPTURE PERCENTAGE.—For purposes
of paragraph (1), the recapture percentage shall be
determined in accordance with the table under
section 50(a)(1)(B), deeming such table to be
amended—
‘‘(A) by striking ‘If the property ceases to
be investment credit property within—’ and in-
serting ‘If the disposition or cessation occurs
within—’, and
‘‘(B) in clause (i) by striking ‘One full year
after placed in service’ and inserting ‘One full
year after the taxpayer becomes entitled to the
credit’.
‘‘(j) BASIS ADJUSTMENTS.—For purposes of this
subtitle, if a credit is allowed under this section for any
expenditure with respect to any property (including any
purchase under subsection (g) and any transfer under sub-
section (h)), the increase in the basis of such property
which would (but for this subsection) result from such ex-
penditure shall be reduced by the amount of the credit
so allowed.
‘‘(k) PROCESSING FEES.—Any State may impose a
fee for the processing of applications for the certification
of any rehabilitation under this section provided that the
amount of such fee is used only to defray expenses associ-
ated with the processing of such applications.
‘‘(l) DENIAL OF DOUBLE BENEFIT.—No credit shall
be allowed under this section for any amount for which
credit is allowed under section 47.
‘‘(m) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe
such regulations as may be appropriate to carry out the
purposes of this section, including regulations where less
than all of a building is used as a principal residence and
where more than 1 taxpayer use the same dwelling unit
as their principal residence.’’
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) Subsection (c) of section 23 of such Code
is amended by striking ‘‘and section 1400C’’ and in-
serting ‘‘and sections 25B and 1400C’’.