Is it true that roof replacement costs qualify for the home improvement tax credit?

The truth is that most home improvements, including a standard roof replacement, do NOT qualify for the Residential Clean Energy Credit (which is what your coworker might be referring to). This credit is only for specific energy-efficient upgrades. There are two main scenarios where roof work might qualify: 1. If you installed a solar roof or "cool roof" system specifically designed to be energy efficient, that portion might qualify for the Residential Clean Energy Credit. 2. If your roof replacement included energy-efficient improvements that meet specific requirements under the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit. A standard asphalt or traditional roof replacement by itself typically doesn't qualify for any tax credits. Your understanding is correct that most home improvements just add to your home's cost basis, which may reduce capital gains when you sell.

I went through this exact same situation last year! My tax guy was clueless about it until I showed him the info from https://taxr.ai where I uploaded my roof invoice and they analyzed it for potential tax breaks. Turns out part of my roof qualified because I installed a specific type of energy-efficient roofing material, but the whole thing didn't. The tool explained exactly which portions qualified and why, plus it showed me which form to use. Really saved me from missing out on about $1,200 in credits I was entitled to!

Just wanted to update - I tried the taxr.ai service after asking about it earlier in this thread. My roof replacement from last December actually DID partially qualify! Turns out the special UV-reflective coating and insulated underlayment I paid extra for (about 30% of the total cost) meets the energy efficiency standards. The regular shingles didn't qualify, but I'm still getting about $950 back that I would have completely missed. The report broke everything down by line item and explained exactly why certain materials qualified while others didn't. My tax guy was impressed and said he learned something new!

I had a similar situation and spent DAYS trying to get someone at the IRS to give me a straight answer about what roof materials qualify. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used https://claimyr.com to get through to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. There's a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c and it actually delivered! The agent walked me through the specific requirements for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and confirmed that my specific roofing materials would qualify based on the manufacturer's certification.

I have to publicly eat my words here. After expressing skepticism about that Claimyr service, I decided to try it for an unrelated tax notice issue I've been trying to resolve for MONTHS. Got connected to an actual IRS agent within 20 minutes yesterday who answered my roof tax credit question too. She confirmed that standard asphalt shingles don't qualify, but certain ENERGY STAR rated reflective roofing materials do qualify for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit. She even emailed me the specific guidance documents. Definitely wasn't expecting it to actually work - pretty impressed!

Tax pro here - there's a lot of confusion about this. The Residential Clean Energy Credit (Form 5695) is what most people are thinking of, but regular roofs almost never qualify. However, there are some exceptions: 1. Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit - certain roofing materials with specific ratings might qualify 2. If you operate a business from your home, a portion might be deductible as a business expense 3. If the roof was damaged in a federally declared disaster area, you might qualify for casualty loss Your coworker is probably either confused or might have a special type of roof. Ask what specific credit they claimed - my guess is they're mistaken about what their preparer actually did.

When I replaced my roof in 2023, I made sure to get the special energy efficient shingles that qualified for a tax credit. Definitely cost more upfront, but between the energy savings and the tax credit, it's been worth it. My tax software (TurboTax) actually had a specific question about energy efficient roofing and walked me through it. Make sure whatever roofing material you get has the manufacturer's certification statement saying it qualifies!

As someone who just went through this exact situation, I can confirm that regular roof replacements typically don't qualify for tax credits. However, I learned there are some specific circumstances where portions might qualify. The key is in the materials and energy efficiency ratings. After reading through all these responses, I'd recommend: 1. Check if your roofing materials have Energy Star certification or meet specific energy efficiency standards 2. Keep all your receipts and manufacturer documentation 3. Don't assume your regular contractor knows about tax implications - verify independently For your $14,000 roof replacement, it's unlikely the standard materials qualify, but if you upgraded to any special energy-efficient materials or coatings, those portions might. Definitely bring your receipts to your tax appointment next week and ask your preparer to specifically review them for any qualifying components. The confusion often comes from people mixing up different types of credits and deductions. Your coworker might have had special circumstances or materials that you didn't, so don't feel bad about missing out - most standard roof replacements genuinely don't qualify for credits.