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If you made your home more energy efficient last year, you may qualify for a tax credit on your 2012 federal income tax return. Here is some basic information about home energy credits that you should know.

Non-Business Energy Property Credit  

• You may claim a credit of 10 percent of the cost of certain energy saving property that you added to your main home. This includes the cost of qualified insulation, windows, doors and roofs.
• In some cases, you may be able to claim the actual cost of certain qualified energy-efficient property. Each type of property has a different dollar limit. Examples include the cost of qualified water heaters and qualified heating and air conditioning systems.
• This credit has a maximum lifetime limit of $500. You may only use $200 of this limit for windows.
• Your main home must be located in the U.S. to qualify for the credit.
• Not all energy-efficient improvements qualify, so be sure you have the manufacturer’s credit certification statement. It is usually available on the manufacturer’s website or with the product’s packaging.
• The credit was to expire at the end of 2011. A recent law extended it for two years through the end of 2013.

Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit

• This tax credit is 30 percent of the cost of alternative energy equipment that you installed on or in your home.
• Qualified equipment includes solar hot water heaters, solar electric equipment and wind turbines.
• There is no limit on the amount of credit available for most types of property. If your credit is more than the tax you owe, you can carry forward the unused portion of this credit to next year’s tax return.
• You must install qualifying equipment in connection with your home located in the United States. It does not have to be your main home.
• The credit is available through 2016.

Use Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits, to claim these credits. You can get Form 5695 at IRS.gov or order it by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Additional IRS Resources:

• Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits
• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax
  

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The April 15 tax deadline will soon be here. Those who wait until the last minute to file may be rushing to find the tax information they need. Tax preparers, businesses, news media and web masters may also be looking for creative ways to help their clients find IRS tax information and tools.

Consider using these IRS social media tools to help you or your website visitors navigate the tax deadline.

• IRS2Go.  IRS’s free mobile app gives you your refund status, tax news updates, IRS You Tube videos and also lets you request your tax records.  IRS2Go is available for the iPhone, iTouch or Android mobile devices.
• YouTube.  IRS offers video tax tips on a variety of topics in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.
• Twitter.  Tweets from @IRSnews provide tax-related announcements and daily tax tips. Tweets from @IRStaxpros offer news and guidance for tax professionals. Tweets from @IRSenEspanolhave news and information in Spanish, and @RecruitmentIRS provides updates for job seekers.
• Podcasts.  IRS has short audio recordings that offer one tax-related topic per podcast. They are available on iTunes or through the Multimedia Center. Transcripts of the Podcasts are also available.
• Tumblr.  IRS Tumblr is a microblogging platform where users can access IRS tax tips, videos, and podcasts. The IRS uses Tumblr to share information about important programs. Tumblr can be accessed from your browser, smartphone, tablet or desktop.

Protecting your privacy is a top priority at the IRS. The IRS uses social media tools to share public information, not to answer personal tax or account questions. You should never post your Social Security number or any other confidential information on social media sites.

Get connected and stay connected to the IRS with social media.

Additional IRS Resources:

• IRS Social Media

IRS YouTube Video:

• IRS Social Media – English