Fed Energy tax credit for residential shades?

[AZ-Tax]

Client has Manf Cert Statement issued by Hunter Douglas. It says these hoeycomb shades qualifies in conjunction with double glazed windows. So am I suppose to prove this for my client probably has no clue if they have dbl glazed windows. I wonder if the people who installed the blinds look to see if my client has double glazed windows. TTB 11-15 has a chart and only thing that comes close is the "insulation and/or system which reduce heat gain or loss" Heck, I got 5 trees outside that reduce heat gain once the sun settles behind them. Where is my tax credit?

Is this form 8908?

http://www.ucan.org/blog/tags/1500/energy_tax_credit_window_shades_or_blinds_watch_out_view_isnt_so_clear

[Burke]

Form 8908 is for the manufacturer. You still use Form 5695. If they have the Manufacturer's Certificate, I would assume they qualify.......

[RitaB]

Seriously!

Where is my tax credit?

We built a house in 2005. Missed the FTHBC, energy credits, the whole enchilada. Been kinda stewing about it all this time. I feel your pain.

Oh, and the value of the home is down, but the property tax assessment did not go now, and just got the insurance notice. Insurance went up, because they raised the limit for coverage. I do not feel better.

Sorry, I just hijacked your thread.

[Burke]

I don't think we had the FTHBC or residential energy credit in 2005, did we? I guess you mean you built too soon. Know the feeling. Kind of like judging the stock market -- when to get out, when to get in.....

[RitaB]

Yes

I don't think we had the FTHBC or residential energy credit in 2005, did we? I guess you mean you built too soon. Know the feeling. Kind of like judging the stock market -- when to get out, when to get in.....

Yes, that's what I meant. And, I would never have guessed that we would all (ok, 1/2 of us) be chipping in to pay for other people's homes.

[AZ-Tax]

I was kidding about my trees but...

If there is a tax credit for anything that reduces the heat thus reduces my electric bill then my trees should qualify. Where are the landscaping lobbyist when you need them. OMG, did I say a kind thing about lobbyist!

[Lion]

EnergyStar.org

Did your client install the blinds with the windows? Needs the certificate from his new windows, too. His old, existing windows don't qualify.

[Gary2]

EnergyStar.org

Did your client install the blinds with the windows? Needs the certificate from his new windows, too. His old, existing windows don't qualify.

That's not the way I read the certificate from Hunter Douglas. They assert the blinds qualify as insulation if installed properly, but they don't have any certification requirements for the windows. My take is that while they may indeed require new windows (I don't know how blinds get installed inside windows), the windows themselves don't need a certification. It's not clear who's responsible for asserting the installation was correct, but that's true for most all of the energy credit items.

[Lion]

Just going by what the OP said would qualify: " It says these hoeycomb shades qualifies in conjunction with double glazed windows." So if the taxpayer purchased honeycomb shades with double glazed windows, and has the certificates....

I love the commercials that show the shades inside the windows. I love the commercial even more everytime I try to dust my blinds that are not inside the windows. A girlfriend got one of those windows with the shades inside for her front door.

[AZ-Tax]

Shades between 2 window panes?

A girlfriend got one of those windows with the shades inside for her front door.

You can actually buy a shade that sits between 2 sealed window panes? Can you control it just like any other shade?

Mixing energey credits with sales people has the potential to be a nightmare then again its not that much different mixing energy credits with politics.

[Gary2]

I suggest reading both the manufacturer certificates and the installation instructions, focusing on the specific requirements in the certificates.

Don't get hung up on the fact that these are installed in windows. They're not qualifying as windows. They're qualifying as insulation material. And, contrary to my original reading (and others), they're not installed between the panes (although such shades exist). They're mounted within the window sills and jambs. The installation instructions have a good picture showing the distinction between an inside and outside mount.

If you're going to be compulsive about this, then the issues are whether they chose only qualifying fabrics (listed on the certificate), any of the disqualifying options or mounting positions, and whether the original windows were double glazed. I don't see any requirement that the windows be new or have any energy certification of their own. Look at it this way: If someone added insulation to the walls of a three-season enclosed porch, you wouldn't worry if the siding were also energy efficient, but the insulation does need to be installed properly.

[Possi]

amen

Yes, that's what I meant. And, I would never have guessed that we would all (ok, 1/2 of us) be chipping in to pay for other people's homes.

I'm glad I have some really pleasant clients. Yesterday was especially pleasant here. Without that, I would be angry all the time at the unfair tax "benefits" this government gives away. AND the fact that we have to smile and celebrate when clearly it's our money going into their pockets.

Whew! that was some bad "stuff"... glad I got that out!

Now, I'll have a wonderful day!

[RitaB]

Yep

I'm glad I have some really pleasant clients. Yesterday was especially pleasant here. Without that, I would be angry all the time at the unfair tax "benefits" this government gives away. AND the fact that we have to smile and celebrate when clearly it's our money going into their pockets.

I am currently so aggravated at a client I could spit. Accosted me at a gas station in the summer to tell me she was gonna let her ex "use" her kid as a dependent so she would qualify for grants for college. Well, I let her know how I felt about that, and it was not sweet. When she came in to do the return, she claimed kid as usual, and I thought I had done my part to promote integrity, fairness, world peace, et al.

But, nooooo, NOW, she is calling me asking, "What does FAFSA mean by needing a transcript from IRS...blah, blah, blah, my ex is filling it out..." I said, "I don't know" and hung up. I suppose what they are doing is now filling out FAFSA as if the kid was dependent of ex anyhow.

Hello?? It's "Free Application for FEDERAL Student Aid". They know what is on the tax returns already.

The only thing worse than a good cheater is a bad cheater.

And, no, that had absolutely nothing to do with energy credits.

[Burke]

You can actually buy a shade that sits between 2 sealed window panes? Can you control it just like any other shade?
.

Yes, you can. We bought a window from Pella in 2004 that has the (mini) blind inside when we remodeled our kitchen. You can raise, lower, or open and shut it with a control knob on the outside of the window frame. You can also remove the glass pane if you ever need to, to clean inside. They come with shades too, now.

[Lion]

Insulation?

The OP didn't say his client installed insulation. That changes the question. And, I never thought he was talking about shades inside windows, since he didn't say that either.

Yes, saw the window with blinds unit with the control. Very cool. Also, saw remote controls in the commercial that they showed to operate the shades inside a window in a skylight and in upper half-circle windows. My husband would love having another remote control.