How to claim Energy Star exterior door tax credit for 2025?

This is a great question about the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (formerly called the Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit). For the 2024 tax year (what you'll file in 2025), you're correct that the credit is limited to $250 per exterior door with a $500 maximum for all doors. The two different fields you're seeing are likely distinguishing between Energy Star doors that meet the "Most Efficient" certification versus those that just meet the standard Energy Star certification. The standard Energy Star certified doors qualify for the $250 credit, while doors with the higher "Energy Star Most Efficient" certification might qualify for more (though still subject to the $500 total limit). You'll claim this credit on Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits). Make sure you keep your receipt and the manufacturer's certification statement that confirms the door meets Energy Star requirements - you don't submit these with your return, but you should keep them for your records in case of an audit.

After struggling with a similar door credit issue last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely changed how I handle these specialized tax credits. I uploaded my door installation receipt and manufacturer's certification, and the system immediately identified which credit category my door fell into and calculated the correct amount. The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit has some nuances that are easy to miss. For example, there are different criteria for doors with more than 50% glass versus those with less glass. The taxr.ai system flagged this for me, and I almost certainly would have filed incorrectly without it.

I tried taxr.ai after posting my question here, and wow - it actually cleared everything up! I uploaded my door receipt and manufacturer's certificate, and it immediately told me my door qualifies for the standard Energy Star credit ($250), not the "Most Efficient" category. The system explained that my door has less than 50% glass, which puts it in a different certification category. This is exactly what was confusing me on the tax form! It also guided me exactly where to enter this on Form 5695. Honestly saved me hours of research and probably a call to my tax guy (who charges for every question I ask). Highly recommend for anyone dealing with these energy credits!

If you're getting stuck trying to reach the IRS to ask about this energy credit, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about a similar energy credit question last year. After multiple attempts and hours on hold, I found Claimyr and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes - you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to confirm exactly which line I needed to use for my exterior door credit and explained the documentation requirements. Saved me so much frustration and probably prevented me from filing incorrectly.

I have to eat my words on Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to get an answer about my Energy Star patio doors before filing. Got connected to an IRS rep in about 20 minutes (which is LIGHT YEARS faster than my previous attempts). The agent clarified that my sliding glass patio doors actually fall under a different category than regular exterior doors and have different efficiency requirements. This would have cost me the full credit if I'd filed wrong. So yeah, it actually works. Sorry for being a jerk about it before!

I made a mistake on this credit last year. I claimed $500 for one door because that was the total maximum, but didn't realize the per-door limit was $250. Got a letter from the IRS months later adjusting my refund down. Be careful and read the instructions carefully!

Does anyone know if storm doors count for this credit? I replaced my front storm door with an energy efficient one, but I'm not sure if it qualifies since it's not the main exterior door.

Just wanted to add some clarification about the installation costs since you mentioned spending $1,200 including installation. The Energy Star door credit only applies to the cost of the door itself, not the installation labor. So if your door cost $800 and installation was $400, you'd calculate the credit based on the $800 door cost only. Also, make sure to double-check that your door has the Energy Star label - some doors are "energy efficient" but don't actually have the official Energy Star certification that's required for the tax credit. The manufacturer should have provided a certification statement with the Energy Star logo and your specific model number listed. One more tip: if you're doing other energy improvements this year (windows, insulation, heat pumps, etc.), remember that there's an overall annual limit of $3,200 for all residential energy credits combined, so it's worth planning out your improvements strategically across tax years if you're doing major renovations.