Section 179D turns energy-efficient lighting, HVAC, and envelope work into a deduction worth up to several dollars per square foot. On a large building, that's real money most owners and design firms never claim.
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The deduction is on the books. The energy model is what's missing.
179D rewards efficiency that buildings already have, but claiming it takes energy modeling and a certified site visit most CPAs don't do. So the deduction sits unclaimed on projects that clearly earned it. We pair the modeling with the tax work and document the whole thing.
179D measures energy savings across three building systems. Improve any of them and the work can count toward the deduction.
Government and tax-exempt building owners don't pay tax, so they can't use the deduction, and the law lets them allocate it to the designer instead. Architects, engineers, and design-build contractors can claim 179D for schools, courthouses, universities, and other public projects they designed.
The allocation has to be in writing from the building owner, and the deduction follows the firm responsible for the qualifying systems. We secure the allocation letters and tie each one to the systems your firm actually designed, so the claim holds up.
Send the drawings, specs, and systems data you already have. For public projects, tell us who owned the building.
Our agents and engineers model energy performance against the reference standard and size the deduction, including the prevailing-wage tiers.
A qualified professional certifies the deduction after the required site visit, a credentialed tax pro files it, and we stand behind it.
the deduction a qualifying building can reach at the top prevailing-wage tier.
Owners of commercial buildings (and certain multifamily over three stories) who pay for qualifying energy work. For government and tax-exempt buildings, the deduction can be allocated to the architect, engineer, or design-build contractor responsible for the systems.
It scales with verified energy savings, from roughly $0.50 per square foot up to several dollars per square foot when prevailing-wage and apprenticeship requirements are met. The cap is set per year and adjusts for inflation, so the exact figure depends on the placed-in-service year.
The assessment is free. If the deduction is worth claiming, our fee is a share of the benefit we document, so you only pay when you save.
Yes. 179D requires energy modeling against the applicable reference standard and a certification by a qualified professional after a site visit. We handle the modeling and the certification, and build the file to support it.
Tell us about the building, or the public project you designed, and we'll tell you plainly what 179D is likely worth. No cost, no obligation, and a real person to talk to.
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