Recent IRS Rulings Result in Favorable Outcomes for Energy Conservation Taxpayers

January 10th, 2011

As taxpayers move to renewable energy technologies, the income tax consequences are important considerations.  For business taxpayer’s, qualifying tax credits may substantially reduce the cost on taxpayers’ investments.  In other circumstances, utilities or governmental units may offer incentives to install systems at no cost to the taxpayers.  In recent private letter rulings, the IRS addressed these matters, and ruled in favor of taxpayers in the area of energy conservation.

We have posted a summary of these rulings on our website.

Extension of American Opportunity Credit in the 2010 Tax Relief Act

December 31st, 2010

The recently enacted “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010” includes a two-year extension of the American Opportunity tax credit for college costs. Added to the tax code in 2009 as a temporary replacement of the previous Hope tax credit, the American Opportunity credit both increased the tax relief available for students from middle-income families and extended relief for the first time to students from lower-income families.  Read more.

If you would like more details about these provisions or any other aspect of the new law, please do not hesitate to contact your Keiter Stephens engagement partner.

AMT Relief in the 2010 Tax Relief Act

December 30th, 2010

The recently enacted “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010” extends partial relief to individual taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax, or AMT. Earlier temporary measures to deal with the unintended creep of the AMT’s reach expired at the end of 2009, meaning that more than 20 million additional taxpayers would have faced paying the tax on their 2010 returns without the new relief. Read more.

If you would like more details about these provisions or any other aspect of the new law, please do not hesitate to contact your Keiter Stephens engagement partner.