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​​​​​NPS Electronic Submission

Starting August 15, 2023, federal Historic Tax Credit (also known as Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit) applications must be submitted to PA SHPO through PA-SHARE.

The National Park Service (NPS), the federal agency that administers this program, has transitioned to an electronic review process starting on August 15, 2023, and will no longer accept hard copy (paper) submissions. PA SHPO manages this federal program in Pennsylvania.

For information about this program, visit the National Park Service's website here. 

What to Expect

The process for submitting applications and supporting materials has changed but the historic tax credit program itself has not. Applicants will continue to submit applications to PA SHPO for review first and PA SHPO will forward applications to NPS for final approval.

What will change:

    • Application packages are submitted online to PA SHPO through PA-SHARE rather than sent in hard copy through the mail.
    • All materials including Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Amendment cover sheets, photographs, narratives, and drawings must be submitted as PDFs.
    • Application cover sheets have been updated to accept digital signatures.
    • All communications from PA SHPO will be via PA-SHARE.
    • All communications from NPS will be via email – no hard copy letters will be sent.

What will not change:

    • Program requirements and administration, such as the amount of the credit, eligibility for the credit, 3-part application, and taking the credit.
    • Required information on Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Amendment forms.
    • Application and documentation standards such as photographs, existing condition and proposed work drawings, and narratives explaining the scope of work.
    • Review process and consultation with PA SHPO and NPS, including sequence of review, review times with each office, and technical assistance.

Electronic Submission Requirements

NPS and PA SHPO have developed the following requirements for submitting applications and supporting materials electronically:

    • Applicants must use the most recent version of the NPS application forms. These forms can be found on the NPS website.
    • All materials must be submitted as PDFs. Instructions, like these, are available online.
    • Application forms must include one of the following types of signature: Adobe digital ID or an original signature that has been scanned as a .jpeg (or other image) file. Typed signatures in a different font will not be accepted.
    • Application parts must be saved as individual files. Cover sheets, narratives, site plans/photo keys, photographs, existing conditions drawings, and proposed work drawings should not be combined.
    • Application files must be saved using the NPS-required naming conventions.
    • Application files must not be larger than 70 MB in size.
    • Photographs must follow NPS guidelines for formatting, captions, and photo keys. Photographs should be submitted in one PDF file and not uploaded as individual jpegs through PA-SHARE.
    • Drawing files must be flattened when saving as a PDF. Existing and proposed floor plans and elevations must not be combined into one PDF file.

Please contact PA SHPO with any questions about these requirements. PA SHPO will return incorrectly formatted files. Failing to follow these requirements may result in delays to your project.

National Park Service Guidance

The National Park service has developed file- and photo-naming conventions and instructions on organizing files for electronic submission. All electronically submitted applications must follow these conventions and instructions. Applicants should download these PDF files for reference in preparing materials for electronic submission.

Using PA-SHARE

PA-SHARE (Pennsylvania's State Historic & Archaeological Resource Exchange) is PA SHPO's online cultural resources data management and GIS tool.

Users must sign up for a free Basic account to submit tax credit applications through PA-SHARE. Applicants will use PA-SHARE to submit materials to PA SHPO in two ways:

    • If you are initiating a tax credit project with a Part 1 or Part 2 application.
    • If you are continuing a tax credit project with a Part 2, Amendment, or Part 3 application.
Refer to this step-by-step tutorial for instructions for using PA-SHARE to submit a historic tax credit project for PA SHPO review. 

Applicants may also find this checklist helpful.

If you are initiating a federal tax credit project with a Part 1 or Part 2 application:

Review of federal historic tax credit projects is initiated with the submission of a Part 1 or Part 2 application, depending on the property's National Register status.

If the property is a single building already individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places, applicants will initiate their project by submitting the Part 2 application.

Applicants can find their property's National Register status in PA-SHARE.

NOTE: If the project is for a property not yet listed in the National Register of Historic Places, applicants are very strongly encouraged to submit a Determination of Eligibility (DOE) request to PA SHPO prior to initiating their federal tax credit project in PA-SHARE.

To initiate a federal tax credit project:

    • Sign in to PA-SHARE. If you have not used PA-SHARE previously, you will need to create a free Basic account.
    • Go to the Submit screen, find the "Federal Tax Credit" box, and click "Visit."
    • Enter your contact information. Additional contacts can be added to the project at the time of submission or later.
    • Complete the Project Overview.
    • Draw the property's boundary on the map. This will return a list of places already recorded in PA-SHARE.
      • If there is a record for the property in PA-SHARE, select the resource and update its information. This is required even if the property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
      • If there is no record for the property in PA-SHARE, you will need to create one to continue. This step will likely be required for buildings within historic districts.
    • Upload all required application parts as separate files following NPS-required naming conventions.
    • Upload one .jpeg photograph of the property. Do not upload all project photos. This should be an overall view of the property and does not replace the PDF photo pages that are uploaded as a document.
    • Submit to SHPO.

Complete instructions are available here.

If you are continuing a federal tax credit project with a Part 2, Amendment, or Part 3 application:

After the initial submission through PA-SHARE to create the federal tax credit project, applicants will use the Project Supplement wizard, not the federal tax credit wizard, to submit the remainder of the application. This includes:

    • Part 2 application, for existing or currently active projects, if the project was initiated with a Part 1 application.
    • Part 3 application, upon completion of the project.
    • One or more amendments, to provide additional information about or changes to a Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 application.
    • Resubmission of a Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or amendment.

NOTE: If a project was initiated through a hard copy (paper) submission, all subsequent submissions must be through PA-SHARE. Projects started on paper will not continue on paper.

To continue a federal tax credit project:

    • Sign in to PA-SHARE. If you have not used PA-SHARE previously, you will need to create a free Basic account.
    • Go to the Submit screen, find the "Project Supplement" box, and click "Visit."
    • Enter the PA-SHARE Project Number (###PR#####). You will need this to continue. You can find the Project Number on PA SHPO correspondence and by searching by project on the Search screen. Do not use the National Park Service project number.
    • Complete the Project Supplement Description
    • Upload application parts as separate files following NPS-required naming conventions.
    • Do not upload individual project photos.
    • Submit to SHPO.

NOTE: Only Project Contacts will be able to submit application parts through the Project Supplement. Additional project contacts can be added by existing project contacts at through the "Project Contact" wizard.

Complete instructions are available here.

Contact Information

In addition to the online help materials, PA SHPO also offers a PA-SHARE Help Desk that can help with creating an account and signing in, troubleshooting your submission, and searching for resources in PA-SHARE. The Help Desk can be reached during PA SHPO normal business hours at pashare@pa.gov.

Please contact historic tax credit staff for questions about the historic tax credit program, application process, and submission requirements.

John Wood
Preservation Incentives Division Manager
jpwood@pa.gov
(717) 214-8650

Shawn Massey
Historic Tax Credit Reviewer
shmassey@pa.gov
(717) 787-9920


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