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Contact Us About Tax Credits

Ellie Benedict, Development Specialist
(410) 618-5725

Qualify for a Maryland Tax Credit

Get Something Back While Giving

When you give $500 or more, you may qualify for a Maryland tax credit.

Maryland Humanities has been awarded $25,000 in Community Investment Tax Credits that can be distributed to qualifying donors—both individuals and businesses—now through the end of 2016. Gifts in support of our in-school educational programs for youth—Letters About Literature, Maryland History Day, and One Maryland One Book—may qualify.

MAKE A CITC GIFT TODAY

FAQ

  • What is a CITC?
    A Maryland Community Investment Tax Credit is a straight reduction in the amount of your Maryland state income tax liability, equal to 50% of your qualifying gift. Verification that both you as a donor and your gift qualify for a CITC is required.
  • How can Maryland Humanities offer CITC to donors?
    Through a competitive application process administered by the Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD), nonprofit organizations are awarded tax credits that are then passed along to their donors who make qualifying gifts. Both individuals and businesses may be eligible to redeem CITC. Maryland Humanities was awarded $25,000 in credits for use through 2016.
  • What level of giving qualifies for CITC participation?
    The minimum gift amount to qualify for a CITC is $500, though Leadership Circle membership begins at the $1,000 level.
  • If I give, how will I benefit?
    Your CITC-qualifying gift decreases your tax liability in two ways:

    1. You are still entitled to claim a deduction equal to 100% of your gift on both your federal and state tax filings.
    2. You also receive a tax credit equal to 50% of your gift. For example, if you make a $1,000 Leadership Circle gift, you receive a $500 CITC. If your Maryland state income tax at the end of the year is $2,500, it would be lowered by $500 to $2,000. If the amount of your CITC exceeds your Maryland tax liability, you may apply it in filings for up to five tax years.

  • How do I collect my tax credit?
    After making your gift, Maryland Humanities will send you a certification form from the state with your acknowledgement letter. You’ll complete the form and send it back with any appropriate documentation (e.g. copy of your cancelled check or credit card receipt). Maryland Humanities will send it to DHCD for processing. Upon approval, DHCD will send your authorized form back to you, which you’ll need when filing your taxes. Please note that to claim your CITC, the state requires you to file your taxes electronically using a pre-approved vendor. A list of approved vendors can be found online at taxes.maryland.com.
  • Who can I contact with questions regarding CITC?
    Christopher J. Kolb, CPA—Manager, Taxpayer Media Section
    Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division
    ckolb@comp.state.md.us or 410-260-7755

  • Humanities matter because humanity matters. The best thoughts, the highest questions, the most profound actions of courage and sacrifice are found in written accounts, art, and creative expressions throughout the ages. To study the humanities is to study oneself in a way that develops cultural literacy, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

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  • Humanities help everyone learn about common and universal themes from diverse groups of people. They can help build peace and understanding in the world.

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  • “Humanities are the core of everything. You cannot be a good scientist or computer programmer, if you cannot communicate clearly with others and understand others. Humanities studies and scholarships are the essential element in learning how to relate to each other AND how to better communicate with one another.”

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  • “[Humanities] are the gateway to our souls, and to understanding each other. They enable us to avoid repeating our mistakes, and are a tool for teaching compassion.”

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  • “[The humanities] are what allow us to see the beauty of the world. I often think that humans are the only species that can reflect on how beautiful the world is, can step back and take intense delight in the sounds and colors of it all, can record not only the world but our reactions to it. The humanities matter because beauty matters.”

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  • “[Lifelong learning] means that we are forever students, constantly discovering, researching, exploring, and challenging ourselves.”

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  • “Lifelong learning is continuing to read, listen, learn, share ideas, discuss, and be enlightened by the great ideas and events of the human experience during the course of an entire life.”

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  • “Humanities are stories of human endeavor. They are at the root of who we are as human beings. The humanities matter because the better we understand and appreciate each other’s cultural and creative foundations the stronger we all become. We then have the ability to work together to solve the problems we all face.”

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  • “Lifelong learning is a philosophy, practice, and lifestyle that I’ve long advocated for in both my professional and personal lives. In the rapid pace, constantly changing, technological, social, and cultural environments we find ourselves in, a continuous adjustment to change is necessary. Lifelong learning is essential to understanding where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go, both as individuals and as a society.”

    ​Maryland Humanities survey participant
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