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June 6, 2019
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I had a new Roof and solar system installed 2017. In the Energy credit, can i input the roof costs as well? The new roof was needed for the solar installation.

  • June 6, 2019
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Best answer by KennethB

Yes, you can include the costs of the roof.  

If you made energy saving improvements to more than one home that you used as a residence during 2017, enter the total of those costs on the applicable line(s) of Form 5695.

You may be able to take a credit of 30% of your costs of qualified solar electric property and solar water heating property. Include any labor costs properly allocable to the onsite preparation, assembly, or original installation of the residential energy efficient property and for piping or wiring to interconnect such property to the home.


Per the IRS Instructions for Form 5695:  

  • Qualified solar electric property costs - Qualified solar electric property costs are costs for property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in your home located in the United States. No costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof (or portion thereof) will fail to qualify solely because the property constitutes a structural component of the structure on which it is installed. The home doesn't have to be your main home.

For further information, please see the instructions for IRS Form 5695 at the following link:  https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i5695

4 replies

June 6, 2019
Hello - We have the exactly the same scenario.  Question 1: the 30% of the cost of the qualified solar electric property would include the solor system (materials & labor) as well as the new roof.Question 2: Can we claim the entire new roof or only the portion holding the solar panels? We are yearly turbo tax useres.
June 6, 2019
Wonderful news - Thanks
KennethBAnswer
June 6, 2019

Yes, you can include the costs of the roof.  

If you made energy saving improvements to more than one home that you used as a residence during 2017, enter the total of those costs on the applicable line(s) of Form 5695.

You may be able to take a credit of 30% of your costs of qualified solar electric property and solar water heating property. Include any labor costs properly allocable to the onsite preparation, assembly, or original installation of the residential energy efficient property and for piping or wiring to interconnect such property to the home.


Per the IRS Instructions for Form 5695:  

  • Qualified solar electric property costs - Qualified solar electric property costs are costs for property that uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in your home located in the United States. No costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof (or portion thereof) will fail to qualify solely because the property constitutes a structural component of the structure on which it is installed. The home doesn't have to be your main home.

For further information, please see the instructions for IRS Form 5695 at the following link:  https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i5695

June 6, 2019
This answer seems to conflict with the same question asked 6 months ago entitled "Could I claim the 30% federal solar tax credit for portion or all cost related to a re-roof if I get new solar panels?" which says the roof does not apply. Can you confirm which advice is correct? I'm planning to install solar panels in 2018 and require a new roof to support the new solar structure. I would like to know if the roof and its installation will qualify for the 30% Energy Credit (along with the solar panels).
April 9, 2020

This same question is addressed in another thread (https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/state-taxes/discussion/re-could-i-claim-the-30-federal-solar-tax-credit-for-portion-or-all-cost-related-to-a-re-roof-if-i/01/1428086#M65039), and I believe that @CA Solar Expert and @BMcCalpin were spot on in their analysis of the underlying tax code (from which the wording in the instructions that is being used to justify including the roof is pulled). Their conclusion, and my own: the roof would not qualify unless you're considering solar shingles or other such solar harnessing material as the roof itself.