IRS cracking down on easement tax dodge

As reported by The Post (which has turned the issue into quite a hobby-horse) the IRS is cracking down <a href="http://newerahatstock.com/gucci-hat-c-7.html"><strong>gucci hat</strong></a> on a tax shelter that many Georgetowners may themselves have used. The basic idea is this: Property owners can give conservation easements to historical preservation groups which gives the non-profit the right to object to any changes made to the facade of the house. The donor of the easement can then theoretically right-off from his or her taxes the estimated reduction of the value of the house. The problem, <a href="http://newerahatstock.com/polo-hat-c-8.html"><strong>polo hat</strong></a> as first identified by The Post several years ago, is that homeowners grossly overestimate the value of the reduction in home value. The IRS argues that when a homeowner in a neighborhood like <a href="http://newerahatstock.com/coogi-hat-c-11.html"><strong>coogi hat</strong></a> Georgetown encumbers his home with a facade easement, he&rsquo;s not really encumbering his home with any more restrictions than already exist due to the aggressive preservation laws already in place. [Continue reading Topher Mathews&rsquo;s post here at The Georgetown Metropolitan.] Topher Mathews blogs at The Georgetown Metropolitan . The Local Blog Network is a group of bloggers from around the D.C. region who have agreed to make regular contributions to All <a href="http://www.jolintsai.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1026539#1026539"><strong>IRS cracking down on easement tax dodge</strong></a> Opinions Are Local.