Overview of Federal Solar Tax Credits in the IRA Posted on Oct 20, 2022
There are two tax credits available for businesses that purchase solar energy systems (see the Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics for information for individuals):
- The investment tax credit (ITC) is a tax credit that reduces the federal income tax liability for a percentage of the cost of a solar system that is installed during the tax year.[1]
- The production tax credit (PTC) is a per kilowatt-hour (kWh) tax credit for electricity generated by solar and other qualifying technologies for the first 10 years of a system’s operation. It reduces the federal income tax liability and is adjusted annually for inflation.[2]
Generally, project owners cannot claim both the ITC and the PTC for the same property, although they could claim different credits for co-located systems, like solar and storage. Other types of renewable energy and storage technologies are also eligible for the ITC but are beyond the scope of this webpage.
Solar systems that are placed in service in 2022 or later and begin construction before 2033 are eligible for a 30% ITC or a 2.6 ¢/kWh[3] PTC if they meet labor requirements issued by the Treasury Department[4] or are under 1 megawatt (MW)[5] in size.