Thinking about some home improvements? Maybe Uncle Sam can help you finance them with Energy Efficient Home Improvement credits.

Energy Efficient Home Improvement credit

The Nonbusiness Energy Property credit was revived by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and renamed the Energy Efficient Home Improvement credit. Congress extended the credit to tax year 2022 and inserted new provisions applying to tax years 2023 – 2032.

Tax Year 2022

How much is the credit for 2022?

The credit for eligible property placed in service in 2022 is the sum of the following two components:

  • 10% of amount paid or incurred for Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements installed during tax year
  • Amount of Residential Energy Property Expenditures paid or incurred during taxable year

What property is credit eligible for 2022?

  • Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements (eligible for 10% of the cost of the property) relating to component installations on a principal residence:
    • Any insulation material or system designed to reduce heat in a dwelling
    • Exterior windows and skylight
    • Exterior doors
    • Metal or asphalt roofs designed to reduce heat
  • Residential Energy Property Expenditures that qualify if installed on a principal residence:
    • Electric heat pump water heaters meeting Department of Energy standards
    • Electric heat pumps meeting specific efficiency standards
    • Central air conditioners meeting specific efficiency standards
    • Qualified natural gas, propane or oil water heaters
    • Qualified natural gas, propane or oil furnace, or hot water boilers
    • Advanced main air circulating fans used in a natural gas, propane, or oil furnace meeting Department of Energy test standards

What is the lifetime limit for 2022?

The overall lifetime credit limit for 2022 is $500. However, the $500 lifetime credit limit ends in 2023 in favor of an annual credit limit of $1,200.

There is also a lifetime credit limit for 2022 of $200 specifically for exterior windows and skylights. In 2023, this $200 lifetime limit is replaced by an annual limit of $600.

What are the 2022 credit limits for specific items?

Annual credit limits for items under the Residential Energy Property:

  • Air circulation fans in natural gas, propane or oil furnaces – $50
  • Natural gas, propane or oil furnaces, or hot water boilers – $150
  • Electric heat pump water heaters, electric heat pumps, central air conditioners, and natural gas, propane, or oil water heaters – $300

Tax Years 2023 through 2032 – The New Rules

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 made significant revisions. The changes, set to go into effect for property placed into service for tax year 2023, include:

  • Credit percentage increase – 10% to 30%
  • 30% credit applies to Residential Energy Property
  • Residential Energy Property includes second homes
  • New category of eligible costs – “Home Energy Audits”
  • $500 lifetime limit replaced by $1,200 annual limit
  • $200 lifetime limit for exterior windows and skylights replaced by $600 annual limit
  • Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements includes insulation air-sealing materials and systems
  • Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements excludes roofs
  • Residential Energy Property includes biomass stoves and air-sealing materials placed in service in 2023 or later
  • Residential Energy Property includes improvements to panelboards, sub-panelboards, branch circuits, or feeders placed in service in 2023 or later

Questions for 2023

How much is the credit for 2023 – 2032?

The credit for 2023 – 2032 is now equal to 30% of the sum of:

  • Amounts paid or incurred for Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements installed during year
  • Amount of Residential Energy Property for year
  • Amounts paid during year for “Home Energy Audits”

What is eligible for 2023?

Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements made to a principal residence for 2023 are the same as 2022, except that roofing no longer qualifies. The following items qualify:

  • Insulation materials or systems, including air-sealing materials or systems, specifically and primarily designed to reduce heat loss of a dwelling
  • Exterior windows and skylights
  • Exterior doors

Residential Energy Property can also be made to a second home and include:

  • Electric or natural gas heat pump water heaters meeting highest efficiency tier established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE)
  • Certain electric heat pumps meeting highest efficiency tier established by the CEE
  • Certain central air conditioners meeting highest efficiency tier established by the CEE
  • Natural gas, propane or oil furnaces, or hot water heaters meeting highest efficiency tier established by the CEE
  • Natural gas, propane or oil furnaces, or hot water boilers meeting highest efficiency tier established by the CEE
  • Biomass stoves or boilers used to heat a residence, with a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75%
  • Oil furnaces and hot water boilers placed in service 2023 – 2026 which meet or exceed 2021 Energy Star efficiency criteria and use eligible fuel blends, or those placed in service after 2026 that achieve annual fuel use efficiency rate of 90 and are rated for use with eligible fuel blends
  • Improvements or replacement of panelboards, sub-panelboards, branch circuits, or feeders installed according to National Electric Code, have a load capacity of not less than 200 amps, and are installed along with other properties for which a credit is allowed under section 25C

What classifies a “Home Energy Audit”?

Home Energy Audits are inspections and reports with respect to a dwelling in the United States owned or used as a principal residence that:

  • Identify significant and cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, including estimates of actual cost savings of each improvement
  • Are conducted and prepared by a certified home energy auditor

What about annual credit limits for specific items for 2023?

For 2023, the credit generated by the following items cannot exceed:

  • Energy audits – $150
  • Exterior door – $250
  • All exterior doors – $500
  • Exterior windows and skylights; central air conditioners; electric panels and related equipment; natural gas, propane or oil furnaces, or hot water boilers – $600 annual aggregate total
  • Electric or natural gas heat pump water heaters; electric or natural gas heat pumps; certain biomass stoves and boilers – $2,000
    • For this category, the $1,200 total credit annual limit and the $600 limit on energy property may be exceeded

To better understand these tax changes and how they may apply to your planned home improvements, please contact your KTLLP Tax Advisor.