If you’ve been waiting for the right time to replace the windows in your San Diego home, that time is now! Beginning in 2023, the federal government is offer new tax credits for homeowners that make energy-efficient improvements to their homes. One of the approved improvements is having new windows and patio doors installed.
The new tax credits give homeowners back up to $600 for the cost replacement windows, and up to $500 for new patio doors, for a total of $1,100. Getting the money back from the federal government is fairly straightforward. A homeowner simply has new windows and doors installed during 2023, and then, when they go to file their 2023 tax return next year, they should indicate that they made an energy efficient home improvement during the tax year. The credit amount they qualify for, up to $1,100, will then be sent to them as part of their tax refund, or subtracted from the tax amount they owe for the year. So, it’s not an instant rebate or a discount off of the purchase price, per se, but it is money back.
Which Replacement Windows and Doors Qualify for the Federal Tax Credit?
Any replacement window or door that is Energy Star-certified qualifies for the federal tax credit. Energy Star products are those that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined to be energy-saving products. Fortunately for San Diego homeowners, many of the replacement windows on the market in San Diego are Energy Star-certified, so they are not too difficult to find.
Michal Bohm, owner of BM Windows in San Diego had this to say, “At our San Diego replacement window company, all of the replacement windows and patio doors we sell meet or exceed Energy Star guidelines, so anything we offer our customers will qualify for the current federal tax credit. Buying new windows for your home was a great idea even before these tax credits came along, because new windows can make your home so much more energy efficient, but the tax credits give homeowners and added incentive to make this upgrade.”
Not only will homeowners receive the tax credit on replacement windows, they will also start saving on their monthly energy bills as soon as their new windows are installed. The amount of savings will vary, based on a variety of factors, including the temperature at which someone keeps their house and the outside temperatures. Homeowners who live in areas that get especially hot in the summer months will likely notice a bigger difference than those who live in more temperate areas.
Homeowners wishing to claim the tax credit on their 2023 tax return should save the purchase receipt for their new windows and doors, in case they are ever audited by the IRS. That way, they will have proof that they qualified for the federal tax credit.
