2011 Tax Credits for Doors & Windows

On December 17th, 2010, President Obama signed H.R. 4853: “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act” creating a continuation of window and door energy tax credits that were originally developed from The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

This act enables homeowners to receive a tax credit for 10% of the product cost with a maximum amount of $200 for ENERGY STAR® qualified windows and 10% of the product cost with a maximum amount of $500 for ENERGY STAR® qualified doors. The credit cannot exceed $500 total for all qualified products.

WDMA summarized the limit when they stated, “There is now a lifetime limit of $500 ($200 for windows/skylights) in total credits that a homeowner can claim from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2011. It is not on top of the $1,500 limit in 2009-2010. If the homeowner has already reached or exceeded the $500 limit, they are no longer eligible to claim the credit in 2011. The $500 aggregate lifetime limit is for any combination of all tax credit qualifying products (HVAC, insulation, roofing, etc.), not just windows, doors and skylights. If the homeowner has claimed less than $500, they can claim the difference up to $200 cap for windows and skylights and $500 for exterior doors.”

To qualify for the tax credit, homeowners can purchase and install ENERGY STAR® qualified door and window products beginning January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. The tax credit is for the cost of products only – it does not include installation costs. The tax credit is for the taxpayer’s principal residence only.

The homeowner may be required to have a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement to qualify for the tax credit. Depending on the final interpretation from the IRS, homeowners might be able to use the ENERGY STAR® product label instead of the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement; however, at this time, the IRS has not yet determined this.

Also, it is uncertain if the IRS will allow the tax credit to be applied to storm doors and storm windows. Based upon the language of H.R. 4853, we believe storm doors and storm windows will not apply; however, if the IRS determines otherwise, we will communicate that with our customers.

If you have questions or require additional information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.