HB1148: HB1148 Income tax; donation of real property for conservation purposes; revise tax credits

Georgia currently gives landowners a state income tax credit (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-29.12) when they permanently donate real property or a conservation easement for purposes like protecting wetlands, wildlife habitat, farmland or historic sites. This bill rewrites that section to make the credit larger: the per-donation cap would rise from the lesser of $500,000 or 25 percent of the property's value to the lesser of $1 million or 50 percent of value, and the annual per-taxpayer limits would roughly double as well. The bill also changes how much total credit the state will hand out each year, setting the statewide cap at $30 million per year for the period from June 1, 2026 through December 31, 2031, and pushes back the deadline for the Department of Natural Resources to accept new applications from the end of 2026 to the end of 2031. The bill also revises filing requirements tied to appraisals and the certification process, and reworks how appraisal disputes involving the State Properties Commission are handled. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.

• Roughly doubles the per-donation tax credit cap, from the lesser of $500,000 or 25 percent of the property's fair market value to the lesser of $1 million or 50 percent of value.
• Doubles the difference-of-value credit limit used when property is sold below market value for conservation purposes, from 25 percent to 50 percent of that difference.
• Raises the annual per-taxpayer credit ceilings under the two main income tax code sections from $250,000 and $500,000 to $500,000 and $1 million respectively.
• Sets a new statewide annual cap of $30 million in conservation donation tax credits for the period from June 1, 2026 through December 31, 2031.
• Extends the deadline for the Department of Natural Resources to accept new applications for these tax credits from December 31, 2026 to December 31, 2031.
• Revises the filing and appraisal review process tied to claiming the credit, adjusting the roles of the Department of Natural Resources and the State Properties Commission.

Landowners who donate real property or conservation easements for conservation purposes, land trusts and nonprofit conservation organizations that accept donations, appraisers who value donated land, the Department of Natural Resources, the State Properties Commission, and Georgia taxpayers who claim or purchase these tax credits.

Landowners considering a conservation donation could claim a significantly larger state tax credit than under current law, potentially making land donations more financially attractive. The extended application window and higher statewide cap mean the state could approve conservation-related tax credits through 2031 rather than cutting the program off after 2026.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 48-7-29.12(b) to raise the per-donation credit cap to the lesser of $1 million or 50 percent of the property's fair market value.
• Section 1 raises the annual per-taxpayer credit ceilings in subsection (f) to $500,000 for individual income tax liability and $1 million for corporate income tax liability.
• Section 1 sets the statewide aggregate credit cap at $30 million per calendar year for June 1, 2026 through December 31, 2031, up from the prior $4 million per year cap that ran through 2026.
• Section 1 extends the deadline for the Department of Natural Resources to accept new tax credit applications from December 31, 2026 to December 31, 2031.
• Section 1 revises the appraisal certification and review process referenced in subsections (c) through (e), affecting how the Department of Natural Resources and the State Properties Commission review appraisals.
• Section 2 makes the Act effective as soon as the Governor signs it or it otherwise becomes law without signature.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-03-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
3. 2026-03-04House Third Readers (House)
4. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
5. 2026-02-04House Second Readers (House)
6. 2026-02-03House First Readers (House)
7. 2026-02-02House Hopper (House)

• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)Primary sponsor
• Robert Dickey (R, HD-134)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• Steven Meeks (R, HD-178)
• Debbie Buckner (D, HD-137)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2026

   163 yea, 3 nay (5 not voting, 6 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #622

• conservation easements
• income tax credits
• land donations
• Georgia environmental policy
• Department of Natural Resources