Vanessa A
Employee Tax Expert

Business & farm

Look at your forms to see if you actually got the credit.  You can look at your form 5695 or Schedule 3.  On schedule 3, you will find the credit on line 5a or 5b.  If it is not showing on the summary screen and is showing on the forms, then there is nothing more for you to do, all is ok.

 

If however, the credit is not showing on the form and you have entered everything, there could be a few things wrong.

  1. You answered a question in a way that made you ineligible for the credit.
  2. You have no tax liability to start with.  These credits are nonrefundable credits.  This means, you cannot get the credit if the amount on line is $0 or it will be limited if the amount on line 16 is less than the full credit you could have received for the energy product. 
  3. If you installed solar items and qualify for the Residential energy credit, then you can carry the credit forward to future years.  The Home Improvement Energy Efficiency Credit, is a use it or lose it so if you don't use it this year, you will lose it. 
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