House Bill 544 creates a new North Carolina corporate campus rehabilitation tax credit for taxpayers that already qualify for the federal rehabilitation credit under Section 47 of the Internal Revenue Code. The credit would equal 40% of qualified rehabilitation expenditures for a certified rehabilitation of an eligible corporate campus, provided the project involves at least $10 million in qualified expenditures and the taxpayer submits the required eligibility and cost certifications to the Secretary of Revenue.
The bill defines an eligible corporate campus as a North Carolina site that is a certified historic structure or State-certified historic structure, formerly served as a corporate headquarters, sits on at least 20 acres, is subject to a preservation agreement, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and certified as a local landmark, and has been at least 80% vacant for two years before certification. The credit applies to expenditures incurred on or after January 1, 2026, and the act is effective for taxable years beginning on or after that date.
HB544 would amend G.S. 105-129.71 to add a new state income tax credit tied to rehabilitation of large historic corporate campuses. It would create a targeted incentive for redevelopment of vacant or underused headquarters properties, potentially reducing state tax liability for developers or owners undertaking qualifying rehabilitation projects. The bill would affect the Department of Revenue’s administration of the credit and would interact with federal historic rehabilitation rules and state historic preservation requirements.
No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no direct evidence of debate or floor sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears pro-development and preservation-oriented, aiming to encourage reuse of large historic corporate properties through a substantial tax incentive. The referral to Finance suggests the bill was being considered primarily for its fiscal and tax policy implications.
Because there are no recorded discussions or votes in the provided materials, no specific objections or supporters are documented. Potential points of contention inferred from the bill’s structure include the size of the credit, the narrow eligibility criteria, and the fiscal cost of offering a 40% credit for projects with at least $10 million in rehabilitation expenditures. The bill’s requirement that properties meet multiple historic, acreage, vacancy, and preservation conditions may also limit the number of qualifying sites, which could be viewed either as a safeguard against broad revenue loss or as an overly restrictive incentive.