What Are Home Renovation Tax Credits?
Renovating your home can be an expensive endeavor, especially since you can't claim a federal tax deduction to defray the costs. However, if any of your home-renovation projects include the installation of energy-efficient equipment, then you may get some relief by claiming one of the tax credits available. Even if you don't qualify, at least you can reduce your taxable gain when you sell the home by the cost of the renovations. Remember to file away and keep all receipts.
As part of the non-business energy property credit, you can reduce your tax bill for a portion of the costs to purchase certain energy-efficient equipment for use in your main home. Your main home is the one place where you live for most of the tax year, not vacation properties or other second homes.
Improvements that qualify for the credit include the purchase price of exterior doors and windows, including skylights and the materials to install a metal roof. Except for the purchase of roofing materials, which must feature the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Energy Star” seal of approval, the equipment you purchase must have a manufacturer’s certification stating that the product satisfies governmental requirements. This tax credit does not cover the cost of labor, only the materials.
The non-business energy property credit also covers the purchase price and the cost of installing electric heat pumps and water heaters, central air conditioners, stoves that use biomass fuel, certain boilers and furnaces and some air circulating fans that reduce overall energy consumption in the home. Although you can include labor costs in your credit, it also only applies to renovations you make to your main home. Note that a combined maximum credit exists for all renovations covered under the non-business energy property credit.
The residential energy-efficient property credit, intended to stimulate your investment in alternative energy equipment, allows you to include an unlimited amount of costs when calculating the credit. You can claim the credit for renovations you make to any home you own that you use for personal purposes, and even ones under construction.
When calculating the credit, include a percentage of the purchase price and the cost of labor for installation. Equipment that qualifies for the credit includes solar-electric panels, solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and wind turbines. The only purchases that have a maximum credit limitation are the costs paid to purchase and install certain fuel cells. As long as the manufacturer provides a statement claiming the equipment will improve the energy efficiency of your home, this is sufficient for you to claim the credit.
When you are ready to prepare your tax return, complete and attach IRS Form 5695 to claim either or both credits. A separate page exists for each credit; fill out the appropriate section if only claiming one. Since these are all nonrefundable credits, their maximum savings is limited to the amount of tax you actually owe for the year.
When you use TurboTax, we'll determine which deductions and credits you qualify for, and fill in all the right forms for you.
