Applications due April 15 for Barn Tax Incentive Program

All New Hampshire towns and cities are authorized by state law (RSA 79-D) to grant property tax relief to owners of historic barns and farm buildings who can demonstrate the public benefit of preserving these structures. Owners also must agree to maintain them throughout a minimum 10-year preservation easement. Almost 100 communities have more than 600 historic structures in the program, according to current data from the NH Department of Revenue Administration.

Towns with very active programs include Alton, Candia, Concord, Cornish, Deerfield, Fitzwilliam, Freedom, Henniker, Hopkinton, Kensington, Kingston, Lancaster, Lee, Lyme, Lyndeborough, Marlborough, Moultonborough, New Boston, North Hampton, Orford, Plainfield, Sandwich, Stratham, and Weare.

Beverly Thomas, New Hampshire Preservation Alliance program director, provides barn tax incentive information to anyone who asks. “We’re happy to help applicants whether their municipalities are already participating in the program or whether it’s all brand-new to them,” she said. “People across the state and their municipal leaders understand the significance of these historic structures, the opportunities to continue to use them in creative ways, and the value these barns and other agricultural structures bring to the scenic landscape of their communities,” she added.

Thomas also notes that renewals are due for property owners with 10-year easements who entered the program in 2012.

Visit www.nhpreservation.org for full information packet including application form.