Solar Tax Credit Calculator 2026: Do You Still Qualify?
Check whether any federal solar tax credit applies to you in 2026 (the 30% §25D credit ended for installs after Dec 31, 2025), estimate carryforward and add your state credit.
Estimate scope & data quality
This tool provides an input-driven estimate. Use the required inputs shown above and review the result limitations below.
- Data quality
- NOT_AVAILABLE
- Result limitation
- Calculator output is not a source-complete customer result.
A tariff credit is distinct from annual savings. If a result is NOT_COMPUTABLE or CONFLICT, it must not be replaced with an estimate or treated as canonical.
How to use this calculator
- Choose when the system was (or will be) fully installed — the IRS treats the expense as made when installation is complete.
- Choose whether you own the system (cash or loan) or lease it / buy power through a PPA.
- Enter the installed cost of solar and any battery, and your state credit if your state has one.
- Optionally enter your federal tax liability to see how much of a 2025 credit you can use this year and how much carries forward.
- Results update instantly and explain which rule applies.
Understanding your results
What changed: Public Law 119-21 (signed July 4, 2025) ended the §25D Residential Clean Energy Credit for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. It had covered 30% of the cost of solar panels, batteries of 3 kWh or more, solar water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and small wind turbines.
When an expense is “made”: according to IRS guidance, when installation is completed — not when you sign, pay a deposit or finance. A system finished on January 5, 2026 gets no federal credit.
Carryforward still works: unused §25D credit from a system installed in 2025 or earlier can still be carried forward and used against future federal tax.
Leases and PPAs: the system owner (not you) may claim §48E for systems that began construction by July 4, 2026 or are placed in service by December 31, 2027, and may pass some value through in the price.
State credits are separate: they are unaffected by the federal change and are calculated here as a percentage with a dollar cap you enter.
Not tax advice — confirm with a tax professional.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers for US homeowners.
Related guides
In-depth articles on sizing, costs, and energy decisions.