Can I get a tax deduction for my new energy efficient roof? Is it too late?
Our house got hit with a crazy storm last spring that completely destroyed our 8-year-old roof. Insurance covered most of the replacement ($72k), but we decided to upgrade to those special energy efficient reflective shingles that were about $4k more than what the insurance would pay for. With our $5.5k insurance deductible, we ended up paying around $9.5k out of pocket. My sister-in-law (who's always bragging about her tax knowledge 🙄) mentioned during dinner last week that we probably qualified for a tax deduction or credit for those energy efficient shingles. I had no idea this was even a thing! Two questions: 1. Would the energy efficient reflective asphalt shingles actually qualify for some kind of tax break? 2. Is it even possible to file an amended return now for something from last year? Or is it too late to claim this? Any advice would be super helpful because that's a decent chunk of money if we can get something back!
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Amy Fleming
You might be able to claim the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit (now called the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit) for those reflective shingles. In general, certain energy efficient roofing materials that meet specific Energy Star requirements can qualify for this credit. For tax year 2022 and beyond, the credit is 30% of the cost of qualified energy efficient improvements, with certain caps depending on the specific improvement. For roofing specifically, you'd need to confirm the shingles met the Energy Star requirements at the time of installation. As for filing an amended return, yes you can! You generally have 3 years from the date you filed your original return to file an amendment and claim a refund. So if we're talking about a 2022 return that you filed in 2023, you have until 2026 to amend it.
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Alice Pierce
•What documentation would they need to prove the shingles qualify? Would a receipt be enough or do they need some special energy star certificate?
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Amy Fleming
•For documentation, you'd want to keep the receipt showing the purchase of the qualified materials, but that's not enough by itself. You should also get the manufacturer's certification statement which confirms the product qualifies for the tax credit. This might be on the packaging, separate documentation, or available on the manufacturer's website. The certification should specifically state that the product meets the requirements for the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit. Your contractor might also provide documentation stating the energy efficiency rating of the materials used.
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Esteban Tate
I was in almost the same situation as you last year! I spent hours trying to figure out if my new roof qualified for tax breaks and finally found this amazing AI tool called taxr.ai that saved me so much headache. I uploaded my roof documentation and receipts, and it instantly told me exactly which tax credits I qualified for AND walked me through how to file an amended return. Check out https://taxr.ai - you just upload your docs and answer a few questions about your situation, and it tells you if you qualify and how much you could get back. I ended up getting over $1000 back that I would have missed otherwise!
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•How accurate is it though? I've tried tax software before that missed obvious deductions. Does it just scan your documents or does it actually understand the complexities of tax laws?
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Elin Robinson
•Is it free? Or at least, can you see if you qualify before paying anything? I hate when I have to pay just to find out I don't qualify for something.
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Esteban Tate
•It's incredibly accurate - it uses AI to actually understand the tax code and your specific situation, not just basic document scanning. It caught a special energy credit that even my accountant missed related to my roof materials. You can definitely see if you qualify before committing to anything. It gives you a preliminary qualification assessment after scanning your documents, so you know what you're getting before moving forward with any filing assistance.
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Elin Robinson
I was skeptical about taxr.ai at first but decided to try it since I was in a similar situation with energy efficient windows I installed. Honestly shocked at how helpful it was! It found a $1,200 credit I was eligible for from my window installation and even helped me prepare the amended return forms for last year. The system was super clear about which documentation I needed and explained exactly why I qualified for the credit. The whole process took like 20 minutes and was way less stressful than I expected. Definitely worth checking out for your roof situation!
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Atticus Domingo
If you need to talk to the IRS about this specific credit for amended returns, good luck getting through on their phone lines. After spending 3 weeks trying to reach someone, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes. I was about to give up on amending my return for some energy credits when I tried https://claimyr.com - they have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree for you and calls you back when they have an agent on the line. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Totally saved me from missing the deadline on my amended return. The IRS agent I spoke with was actually super helpful once I could actually talk to one!
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Beth Ford
•Wait, how does this actually work? Doesn't the IRS just put everyone in the same queue? How could they possibly get you through faster than calling directly?
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Morita Montoya
•This sounds like a scam tbh. Nobody can get you through to the IRS faster. They're just taking your money for something you could do yourself if you're patient enough.
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Atticus Domingo
•They don't skip the line - they use technology to navigate the IRS phone system and wait on hold for you. When they finally get through to a human agent, they call you to connect. It's basically like having someone wait on hold in your place. I was skeptical too, but it works because the IRS phone system is first-come, first-served, and they're just holding your place in line. No magic, just convenience so you don't have to listen to hold music for hours. It saved me from having to redial multiple times a day for weeks.
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Morita Montoya
I owe everyone here an apology. After calling out Claimyr as a potential scam, I decided to try it myself since I needed to talk to someone at the IRS about my amended return for energy credits. Well, I was dead wrong. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes after trying for WEEKS on my own with no success. The agent helped me confirm that I could still file an amended return for energy efficient improvements from last year. For the OP - the agent told me specifically that energy efficient roofing can qualify for the Residential Energy Property Credit if it meets Energy Star requirements. Definitely worth looking into for your situation.
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Kingston Bellamy
Just to add some specific info about the roofing credit - make sure your reflective shingles met the specific solar reflectance requirements. Energy Star roof products need to have an initial solar reflectance of ≥0.25, and maintain reflectance of ≥0.15 after 3 years. You'll need the manufacturer certification statement that specifically mentions Energy Star certification. Keep in mind that not all "energy efficient" marketing means it actually qualifies for the tax credit - it needs the actual certification.
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Joy Olmedo
•Do you know if this credit gets reported on Form 5695? I'm trying to figure out the paperwork for a similar situation.
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Kingston Bellamy
•Yes, the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (formerly the Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit) is reported on Form 5695, "Residential Energy Credits." You'll need to complete Part II of the form if you're claiming credits for the tax years before 2023, which covers qualified energy efficiency improvements including roofing materials. For tax year 2023 and beyond, the form has been updated to reflect the expanded credit under the Inflation Reduction Act, but the basic reporting mechanism is still Form 5695. The documentation requirements remain the same regardless of which tax year you're amending.
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Isaiah Cross
Has anyone actually gone through the amended return process for this specific credit? I'm wondering how much scrutiny the IRS gives these claims. I installed energy efficient roofing two years ago but didn't claim anything because I was worried about triggering an audit.
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Kiara Greene
•I claimed the energy credit for my solar reflective roof last year on an amended return and had zero issues. Just made sure I had the manufacturer's certification that it met Energy Star requirements and kept copies of all receipts. The whole process was surprisingly smooth.
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