Tax Credits

Have you ever gone into a dealership to purchase a car? It’s been a while for me, but one of the things that keeps me from vehicle shopping is just how difficult it is to ascertain the actual price of the vehicle. The salesperson wants to run a credit check and then talk to you about how much payment you can afford. They want to factor rebates and trade-in value of your existing vehicle to the payment they quote you without ever telling you what you are paying for the car. The entire negotiation often becomes about the monthly payment (regardless of the term of the loan) rather than the car’s price. Indeed, personal finance websites almost always recommend negotiating the three aspects of your car purchase separately: the vehicle’s price, the trade-in amount for your vehicle, and the financing. Otherwise, you run the risk of both buying more car than you can afford and being upside down in the loan (owing more on the vehicle than the vehicle is worth) shortly after you make the purchase. What does this have to do with the expansion of the Residential Clean Energy Credit, you ask? More than you might think. My husband, after talking to a neighbor, recently decided to start shopping for solar panel systems with the idea of saving money on (or largely eliminating) our monthly power bills. What followed was a crash course in residential solar energy sales and the associated economics.

A recently filed lawsuit against CohnReznick opens a window into a niche form of tax practice – compliance and planning around the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit . The case highlights a current controversy between investors seeking returns and not-for-profits seeking to insure continued affordability and their own interests to be just a bit cynical. We get to discuss some obscure tax issues and reflect on the question of who it is that is actually your client.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-169; 8/16/22) could easily have been named the Energy Incentives Act of 2022. Over 20 provisions in the Act provide tax credits or special deductions to encourage the production and use of clean energy. The cost of these energy provisions over ten years is about $271 billion. In contrast, the ten-year revenue projection for the corporate AMT and one percent excise tax on certain stock buybacks is about $296 billion. Most of the energy credits are for businesses and are specialized such as for the production of clean hydrogen or sustainable aviation fuel or zero-emission nuclear power production. Four credits are designed for individuals including three revised credits and one entirely new one (§25E, Previously-owned clean vehicle credit). This article highlights key aspects of the credits and special energy provisions as a whole, offers tips for dealing with the complexities that exist in these IRA 2022 rules, and provides suggestions to help individuals obtain the greatest tax savings from the new and revised energy credits and rebates. A few charts are included to aid in understanding these credits.

Your clients may think that business owners get all the tax breaks and incentives. But that’s not quite true. We see that with the expansion of clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. One of the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act is to address climate change. The bill does this by helping taxpayers save green for using green energy. Taxpayers can not only enjoy tax benefits from riding clean the next 10 years. Your environmentally conscious clients can also reduce their tax bill as they make clean energy changes to their home. What client do you have right now that would enjoy claiming 30% of the costs of their home improvements for a tax credit? Not sure? Well get your pen and paper to make a list while we go over how this new credit can save them this tax year until 2034.

Evie and I withdrew from active tax practice in 2018, but she maintains a sort of family and friend's freebie practice using Drake. I help a little. We have been struggling with difficulty getting the information for one of our “clients” as we watch the ultimate October 15 deadline creeps up on us. She is in Florida in one of the counties covered by President Biden’s disaster declaration relative to Hurricane Ian. So it was sort of a relief to find out that we have another three months to get the return done. In this case it is not a huge benefit since interest will still clock if there turns out to be a balance due, since the payment was due on April 18. “Certain deadlines” falling on or after September 23, 2022 and before February 15, 2023 are postponed through February 15, 2023. Read on to learn more!

Question: How can I explain the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act to my tax planning clients? Answer: The simplest solution I've found so far is to break the Act into three components: tax credits for electric vehicles, tax credits for home improvements, and how the IRS will use the new funds allocated to them. From there, it's a simple matter of identifying some of the core concepts behind each category. To save you some trouble, I've created new client alerts to illustrate how one might do that! Keep reading to learn more!

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 expanded existing energy credits and created brand new ones. There are now several new ways tax professionals can help taxpayers save thousands of dollars a year by planning for these tax credits. In this webinar, we will cover the credits likely to be used by individuals and small businesses. We will also discuss tax planning considerations and areas in need of additional guidance.

We’re hosting a live open discussion forum to help educate you on the new Inflation Reduction Act! The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes some big promises: lower energy costs, provide tax credits for electric vehicles, negotiate cheaper medications for seniors, deliver faster tax refunds, and create more responsive IRS agents! How all these promises are paid for and how they impact the average American are already the topic of intense debate and, in some cases, the cause of outright fear! In fact, there has been so much concern and debate around this new bill that we’ve decided to hold a town hall on the subject! Keep reading to get all the details...