In an effort to stabilize the Federal Historic Tax Credit industry in the aftermath of the Third Circuit Decision in Historic Boardwalk Hall LLC , the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") published Revenue Procedure 2014-12 (the "HTC Rev Proc") which outlines a safe harbor for investors (an "Investor") in Federal Historic Tax Credits (the "Tax Credit"). An Investor receives the Tax Credit through an ownership interest in a partnership which owns and develops a historic building or through the election of the partnership to pass the Tax Credit to a master tenant owned by the Investor. In a nutshell the HTC Rev Proc requires: (1) the Investor to have at least a 5% interest in all interests in the partnership; (2) the Investor's interest in the partnership must represent reasonably anticipated value exclusive of tax benefits; (3) the Investor cannot be protected from losses from partnership activity and must participate in profits in a manner not limited to a preferred return; (4) the ability of the master tenant owned by the Investor to lease the building back to the developer is severely limited; (5) the Investor must contribute at least 20% of the total anticipated capital on or prior to the building being placed in service and this capital contribution must be protected against loss; (6) at least 75% of the Investor's total anticipated capital must be fixed before the building is placed in service; (7) guarantees to the Investor will be limited to a guaranty with respect to any act or omission which would prevent the partnership from qualifying for the Tax Credit; and (8) the developer may not have the right to acquire the Investor's interest in the Partnership and the Investor may have a right to compel the developer to purchase the Investor's interest at its fair market value. The Rev Proc echoes the position of the IRS in a 2007 Revenue Procedure which provided a safe harbor with respect to investors in the wind production tax credit as well as the Historic Board Hall case.

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