How to Deduct New Appliances From Taxes

Are new appliances tax-deductible? Whether or not you can deduct new appliances from your taxes depends on where you live, current legislation, government programs available, the type of appliances and the reason you bought them. In addition to deductions, you might qualify for rebates and tax credits.

To find out what appliances qualify for energy tax credits, you’ll need to research your local, state and federal laws. Make sure you speak to a tax professional before you make any appliance purchases if you need to get a tax deduction, credit or rebate for it – tax laws change frequently and vary at local, state and federal levels.

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Tax deductions and credits are not the same, explains the IRS. Credits often give you more benefits. A deduction allows you to reduce you income by the amount of the deduction, so you pay less tax on that amount. A credit gives you a set dollar amount that might be worth more than a deduction.

For example, if you are able to claim a new ​$300​ dishwasher as a deduction, you’ll reduce your taxable income by ​$300​. If you pay income tax at a 12 percent rate, you’ll save ​$36​ – not ​$300​. If you get a tax credit for buying a new energy-efficient dishwasher, you might get a ​$100​ or more credit.

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Some municipalities, states and utilities offer rebates when you purchase energy-efficient appliances. For example, many electric utilities offer a rebate when you switch your gas water heater to an electric water heater and vice versa. Atlanta Gas Light offers rebates of up to ​$1,000​ when you buy a gas tank-style water heater, tankless water heater, furnace or dryer.

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The U.S. government offers a variety of tax credits for appliance purchases. Refer to IRS Form 5965 Residential Energy Credits to learn which appliances qualify for that particular tax year. For 2021, you can get tax credits for qualifying solar electric property expenses, solar water heating property expenses, small wind energy property expenses, geothermal heat pump property expenses, biomass fuel property costs and fuel cell property.

Be aware that the tax credits for residential appliances expired on ​December 31, 2021,​ according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star website. According to the site, those credits ended on December 31, 2021, and were not renewed by Congress. The EPA will update this page as new legislation passes.

If you sell your home, you can reduce the tax basis of your home if you make significant improvements, which includes deducting new appliances, explains legal website NOLO.com.

If you are buying appliances for your business location or are a house flipper or residential or commercial builder, you can write off appliances as business expenses.

Are appliances tax-deductible for rental property purposes? If you are a landlord and buy appliances for your rental property, you might be able to depreciate the cost, which means taking a tax deduction pro-rated over the course of years, rather than deducting the full price at once. That’s because appliances are considered an asset (since you can sell them).

Local municipalities, utilities and states offer different tax credits, such as rebates for solar energy installation and low-flow toilets. Visit the websites of your electric, gas and water companies and do a keyword search for “rebate” or “credits” to see what they offer.