SB 834 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Relating to tax credit for qualified rehabilitated buildings investment

SB 834 creates a tax credit for property owners rehabilitating certified historic buildings in West Virginia. It offers a 10% credit on rehabilitation costs for most projects, increasing to 25% for projects starting after December 2017 with specific certification. The bill allows owners to claim credits incrementally for phased rehabilitation projects (e.g., staged construction) as each phase is completed, provided they submit final certification within 60 months. This credit applies only to buildings designated as "certified historic" by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Park Service, and requires owners to be current on all tax payments when claiming the credit.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 20, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill replaces an outdated historic building tax credit system with a new, centralized article (13NN) that clarifies requirements and adds new provisions. It eliminates two existing credits effective June 30, 2025, while preserving rights for credits already earned before that date. The new system creates a unified framework for historic rehabilitation credits with updated definitions, application procedures, and recapture rules.

Scope change

The bill consolidates historic rehabilitation tax credits into a new dedicated article (13NN) and eliminates the previous credits under Articles 21 and 24, creating a single, more streamlined system for claiming these credits.

SCOPE

Created a new Article 13NN dedicated entirely to West Virginia historic rehabilitated building tax credits, consolidating previously scattered provisions.

ELIGIBILITY

Eliminated two existing tax credits under Articles 21 and 24 effective June 30, 2025, replacing them with the new Article 13NN system.

REQUIREMENT

Added detailed application procedures including mandatory fees (up to $10,000 or 0.5% of credit amount), good standing requirements, and specific certification processes with the National Park Service.

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from March 25, 2025 to March 31, 2025, and set new application deadline of June 30, 2025 for the new credit system.

ENFORCEMENT

Added comprehensive recapture provisions requiring taxpayers to submit final certification within 60 months or face tax recapture of previously claimed credits.

DEFINITION

Updated and expanded definitions for key terms including certified historic structures, material rehabilitation, and residential certified historic structures.

FISCAL

Established a special revenue account for administering the new credit system, with fees deposited into this fund for administrative purposes.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 2, 2025

How they voted

33–0

Passed

Total votes 33

Apr 2, 2025

D Democratic2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican31

31 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

To House Finance

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

To Finance

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 287)

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute for committee substitute reported

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Committee

To Finance

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

To Economic Development

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

To Economic Development then Finance

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor