One of the most significant advantages of certifying a perpetual conservation easement as an Ecological Gift (EcoGift) is augmented tax benefits.
First, in a normal charitable donation, the maximum receipt value you can use in any one year is 75% of your income, whereas an EcoGift-certified receipt can be applied against 100% of your income. Also, any property can generate a capital gain over the period it is owned, which is taxable. When a property (or interest in that property) is disposed of through a donation, 50% of the gain is taxable; however, when that donation occurs through the EcoGifts program, no portion of the capital gain is taxable. Finally, the time limit on the tax credit is relaxed with an EcoGift. Rather than having five (5) years after the year of donation to use up the tax credit, as of 2014 donors have ten (10) years.
