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HB0840 • 2026

Property Tax - Credit for Commercial Buildings Rented to Small Businesses

Property Tax - Credit for Commercial Buildings Rented to Small Businesses

Small Business Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Delegates Edelson , Clippinger , and Lewis
Last action
2026-02-05
Official status
In the House - Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Property Tax - Credit for Commercial Buildings Rented to Small Businesses

hb843Authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City and the governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, by law, a credit against the county or municipal corporation property tax imposed on a commercial building that is rented or rented to own at fair market value to a small business if the commercial building is located in a designated arts and entertainment district or Main Street Maryland community.

What This Bill Does

  • hb843Authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City and the governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, by law, a credit against the county or municipal corporation property tax imposed on a commercial building that is rented or rented to own at fair market value to a small business if the commercial building is located in a designated arts and entertainment district or Main Street Maryland community.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-05 House

    Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-02-04 House

    First Reading Ways and Means

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Property Tax - Credit for Commercial Buildings Rented to Small Businesses

Official Summary Text

hb843Authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City and the governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, by law, a credit against the county or municipal corporation property tax imposed on a commercial building that is rented or rented to own at fair market value to a small business if the commercial building is located in a designated arts and entertainment district or Main Street Maryland community.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0840*

HOUSE BILL 840
Q1 6lr2722
CF 6lr2428
By: Delegates Edelson, Clippinger, and Lewis
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Property Tax – Credit for Commercial Buildings Rented to Small Businesses 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City and the 3
governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, by law, a credit against 4
the county or municipal corporation property tax imposed on a commercial building 5
that is rented to a small business if the commercial building is located in certain 6
areas; and generally relating to a property tax credit for commercial buildings rented 7
to small businesses. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Tax – Property 10
Section 9–276 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Tax – Property 16

9–276. 17

(A) THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY OR THE 18
GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION MAY GRANT, BY LAW, 19
A TAX CREDIT AGAINST THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION PROPERTY TAX 20
IMPOSED ON A COMMERC IAL BUILDING THAT IS RENTED OR RENTED TO OWN AT 21
FAIR MARKET VALUE TO A SMALL BUSINESS I F THE COMMERCIAL BUI LDING IS 22
LOCATED IN: 23

2 HOUSE BILL 840

(1) AN ARTS AND ENTERTAI NMENT DISTRICT DESIG NATED UNDER 1
TITLE 4, SUBTITLE 7 OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARTICLE; OR 2

(2) A MAIN STREET MARYLAND COMMUNITY DE SIGNATED BY THE 3
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 4

(B) THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE CITY OR THE 5
GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION MAY PROV IDE, BY 6
LAW, FOR: 7

(1) THE AMOUNT AND DURAT ION OF THE TAX CREDI T UNDER THIS 8
SECTION; 9

(2) ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE TAX CREDIT UNDER 10
THIS SECTION; 11

(3) APPLICATION PROCEDUR ES FOR THE TAX CREDI T UNDER THIS 12
SECTION; AND 13

(4) ANY OTHER PROVISION NECESSARY TO CARRY O UT THE TAX 14
CREDIT UNDER THIS SECTION. 15

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 16
1, 2026, and shall be applicable to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2026. 17