Tax Incentives for Making Donations to Park and Recreation Agencies

Authors

  • John L. Crompton

Keywords:

donations, federal income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, parks, open space, conservation easements.

Abstract

Financial incentives are provided by federal and state governments to encourage the donation of park and open space land. These incentives stem primarily from three elements of the federal tax structure: the income tax, the capital gains tax, and the inheritance tax. The paper explains the implications of these three taxes. The income tax and capital gains tax are most likely to be prominent considerations in the donation decisions ofbothindividuals and business enterprises, while the inheritance tax is often a central influence in decisions to donate conservation easements.

Published

1996-10-03

Issue

Section

Regular Papers