Replacement Window and Insulation Energy Tax Credit Extended For 2013

Now is the time to take advantage of the savings that you can achieve from making your home more energy efficient.  During the colder months of the year, the energy inefficiencies throughout your home are more noticeable.  Whether it is a draft by the window in the family room, the cold in the bedroom over the garage or the breeze that seems to be coming into your home from under the front door, now is the time to get these items fixed so that you can enjoy a more comfortable home and stop throwing your utility dollars out the door.   Why not replace those drafty windows and doors or improve the comfort level of your home with air sealing and added insulation?

There is an even bigger reason to get going on these energy saving home improvements.  Due to the last-minute deal to avert the "fiscal cliff," the $500 tax credit has been extend by Congress to make these improvements a little more affordable.  The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed by Congress on January 3, 2013, provides extensions of energy tax credit provisions that benefit homeowners seeking energy-efficiency improvements. Under section 25C, homeowners can claim a $500 maximum tax credit to cover material costs of energy-efficient upgrades to existing homes for all taxable years. The credit is only redeemable if the upgrades are in place by the end of 2013.  

This $500 tax credit is only available to taxpayers that have not previously used it in prior years.  Here is a list of projects that Windows on Washington offers that are currently eligible for the tax credit:

• Insulation - Additional insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of your home that meet standards set in 2009 IECC.

• Air Sealing - Sealing cracks around your home and ducts to reduce infiltration and heat loss in a manner consistent with the 2009 IECC.

• Replacement Windows and Exterior Doors - 10% of material cost, up to $200 for replacement windows and exterior doors that meet Energy Star requirements.  The replacement windows must have performance values equal to or below a 0.30 U factor and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.30. 

• Skylights - 10% of material cost up to $200 and must meet Energy Star requirements.

The IRS requires homeowners to obtain paperwork from the manufacturer that certifies that the products used in the home improvement meet or exceed the standards outlined in the Taxpayer Relief Act.  You will not have to submit this certification to the IRS when you file but you will need to keep it in case the IRS has any questions about your project. Click here to access IRS guidance on qualifying energy-efficient property.

Windows on Washington has helped thousands of homeowners in the Virginia, Maryland, and Metro DC area make their home more comfortable, beautiful and energy efficient with best replacement windows, Exterior doors, air sealing and insulation.  To see how Windows on Washington can make your home improvement dreams a reality while helping your acquire the tax credit, give us a call today.  We are happy to schedule a free in-home consultation to provide the answers you need to make the right decision for you home.