Qualifying For Home Energy Tax Credits

Taxpayers who make energy improvements to a residence may be eligible for home energy tax credits. The credit amounts and types of qualifying expenses were expanded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Taxpayers can claim the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and Residential Clean Energy Credit for the year the qualifying expenditures are made. Homeowners who improve their primary residence will find the most opportunities to claim a credit for qualifying expenses. Renters may also be able to claim credits, as well as owners of second homes used as residences. Landlords cannot claim this credit. Taxpayers can review all requirements and qualifications at Home Energy for energy efficient equipment prior to purchasing. To compare the credit amounts for tax year 2022 and tax years 2023-2032 visit energy.gov.
Taxpayers that make qualified energy-efficient improvements to their home after January 1, 2023, may qualify for a tax credit up to $3,200.
Beginning January 1, 2023, the credit equals 30% of certain qualified expenses:
• Qualified energy efficiency improvements installed during the year can include exterior doors, windows, skylights, and insulation and air sealing materials or systems.
• Residential energy property expenses such as natural gas, propane or oil water heaters, and natural gas, propane or oil furnaces and hot water boilers.
• Heat pumps, water heaters, biomass stoves and boilers.
• Home energy audits of a main home.
The maximum credit that can be claimed each year is:
• $1,200 for energy property costs and certain energy efficient home improvements, with limits on doors ($250 per door and $500 total), windows ($600) and home energy audits ($150).
• $2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps, biomass stoves or biomass boilers.
The credit is nonrefundable which means taxpayers cannot get back more from the credit than what is owed in taxes and any excess credit cannot be carried to future tax years.
Taxpayers who invest in energy improvements for their main home, including solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cells or battery storage, may qualify for an annual residential clean energy tax credit.
The Residential Clean Energy Credit equals 30% of the costs of new, qualified clean energy property for a home in the United States installed anytime from 2022 through 2032.
Qualified expenses include the costs of new, clean energy equipment including:
• Solar electric panels.
• Solar water heaters.
• Wind turbines.
• Geothermal heat pumps.
• Fuel cells.
• Battery storage technology (beginning in 2023).
Clean energy equipment must meet the following standards to qualify for the Residential Clean Energy Credit:
• Solar water heaters must be certified by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation or a comparable entity endorsed by the applicable state.
• Geothermal heat pumps must meet Energy Star requirements in effect at the time of purchase.
• Battery storage technology must have a capacity of at least 3 kilowatt hours.
This credit has no annual or lifetime dollar limit except for fuel cell property. Taxpayers can claim this credit every year they install eligible property on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2033.
This is a nonrefundable credit, which means the credit amount received cannot exceed the amount owed in tax. Taxpayers can carry forward excess unused credit and apply it to any tax owed in future years. This credit must be claimed for the tax year when the property is installed, not just purchased.
Importance of Good Recordkeeping
Taxpayers are encouraged to keep good records of purchases and expenses. This will assist in claiming the applicable credit during tax filing season.