02/11/2026
Hey Preserve Anderson County Heritage Pendleton Historic Foundation
📢 Advocacy Alert: Protect the SC Abandoned Building Tax Credit
On January 6, 2026, the SC Department of Revenue issued Revenue Ruling 26-1, changing how the state’s Abandoned Building Tax Credit will be interpreted starting June 1, 2026.
Since 2013, this one-of-a-kind South Carolina incentive has helped rehabilitate more than 2,200 vacant buildings, leveraged $96 million in tax credits, and revitalized communities across our state.
The new ruling would:
• Require buildings to have been income-producing before becoming abandoned
• Require extensive qualification details at the Notice of Intent stage
• Prevent transfer of Notices of Intent to new owners
• Exclude certain properties (state-owned, nonprofit-owned, former schools, churches, etc.)
• Allow tax credits to be used as collateral for debt
IN RESPONSE, Senators Davis and Hutto have introduced Bill 853 to clarify legislative intent and protect the program by:
• Removing the income-producing requirement
• Clarifying state-owned building eligibility
• Making local government certification of abandonment the final authority
• Prohibiting tax credits from being used as loan collateral
This tax credit fuels redevelopment, preserves historic structures, creates jobs, and brings new energy to properties statewide.
We join our partners across South Carolina in supporting Bill 853 to ensure this important revitalization tool remains strong.
📸: Savage Craft Ale Works, Columbia