Plan Your Solar Transition With the 30% Solar Tax Credit

There have always been many compelling reasons to transition to solar energy — it’s environmentally friendly, it boosts your property value and saves you lots of money in the long run. Some property owners may balk at the upfront costs associated with switching to solar energy. However, thanks to various tax incentives, and increasing electricity rate hikes, adopting solar energy has become more affordable than ever before. These solar panel incentives won’t last forever, though, so if you’re going to transition to green energy, there’s no time like the present.

Plan your transition before the end of the year so you can claim your tax credit during the next tax season. We have limited scheduling slots available. 

In this guide to going solar, we’ll discuss the various commercial and residential federal tax incentives currently available, as well as some extra incentives we offer at KC Green Energy.

Solar Tax Credit Increased to 30% with the Inflation Reduction Act

Besides the money you save on your electric bill, one of the most significant financial reasons to install residential and commercial solar energy systems is the 30% federal solar tax credit. A tax credit is a dollar-to-dollar reduction of your income taxes that does not depend on your tax bracket. For instance, if you get a $9,000 tax credit, you’ll pay $9,000 less for that year’s taxes.

The currently available solar investment tax credit equals 30% of your solar energy system’s total cost, including all the following expenses.

• Contractor labor costs: These include preparing, assembling and installing the system, including inspection costs, developer fees and permitting fees.
• System equipment: These include inverters, mounting equipment and wiring.
• Energy storage devices: These are devices charged only by the solar PV panels.
• Sales tax: The total cost also includes sales tax on all eligible expenses.

For example, if you invested a total of $20,000 in your system, you’d get a $6,000 tax credit.

Note: To be eligible for this tax credit, you must own your system. Even if your tax liability isn’t enough to claim the full credit in a single year, you can roll it over into future tax years for as long as it’s still in effect. However, keep in mind that, if you sign a PPA or lease with a solar installer, you do not own the system and therefore are ineligible to claim the tax credit.

You claim this credit when filing your annual federal tax return. Don’t forget to notify your accountant that you’ve installed a solar energy system in the previous year. If you do your taxes yourself, refer to EnergySage’s guide to claiming this credit.

Solar Savings for Commercial Buildings

 

If you’re a business owner and want to transition to solar, you can claim a tax deduction. If PPL is your provider, you may also be eligible for a PPL rebate that can cover 25% or more of your cost.

What is a tax deduction, you may ask? Just like a tax credit, a tax deduction reduces how much money you have to pay in tax each year, but unlike a tax credit, the amount it saves you depends on your tax bracket.

For example, if your income was $800,000 one year and you claim a tax deduction of $300,000, your taxable income would go from $800,000 to $500,000.

If you’re in a 30% tax bracket and claimed a tax deduction of $300,000, that would lower your taxes by $90,000. If you’re in a 35% tax bracket, a $300,000 tax deduction would reduce your taxes even further, by $105,000.

As a business owner, you’re probably wondering how this deduction will affect your bottom line, and the answer depends on several factors:

• Your tax liability
• Your tax bracket
• The other deductions your business has

By lowering your taxable income, you will pay significantly less when it comes time to file your taxes. If you’re in a 30% tax bracket, this deduction is essentially the same as a 30% tax credit.

100% Bonus Depreciation

When you make an acquisition for your business — in this case, a solar energy system — its cost, for accounting purposes, traditionally gets spread out over that asset’s useful life. Accountants call this depreciation, and it sometimes works in your company’s favor. If depreciation doesn’t apply, your company’s financial statement may take a hit, showing lower profits or larger losses for the tax year when your company acquired the assets.

Another incentive for businesses to invest in solar energy is the bonus depreciation in the new tax law, which recently increased from 50 to 100%. This depreciation will apply to solar energy systems put in service until Jan. 1, 2023.

Bonus depreciation, also called the “additional first-year depreciation deduction,” refers to a tax incentive allowing businesses to deduct a significant percentage of the purchase cost of eligible assets, instead of writing them off over the assets’ “useful life.”

However, this incentive won’t last forever. After Jan. 1, 2023, the bonus depreciation rate will begin to decrease. Also, note that you must take bonus depreciation within the first year you place solar panels in service.

Clean Energy for Homes

In addition to the above tax incentives, KC Green offers some additional bonuses when you buy your new system from us.

• No money down: You pay no upfront costs with this option.
• Financing: KC Green offers a range of financing option to fit your budget such as rates starting at 0% interest for 12 years of 0.99% interest for 20 years (with a credit score of 640 or higher).

Go Solar With KC Green Energy

With a high-quality solar energy system installed, you could save significantly on your energy bills. There are many reasons to go solar — and even more reasons to do it as soon as possible. KC Green Energy can install your system quickly and efficiently, so you can start enjoying the benefits of solar as affordably as possible. Speak with our helpful and knowledgeable staff by filling out our online contact form.