On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law HR1865, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (2020), which contained an extension to the Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction (179D).
Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 signed into law by President Bush, the CBTD (Section 179D of the tax code) provides an accelerated tax deduction of up to $1.80/sq.ft. as an incentive to install energy-efficient building systems, including interior lighting. The tax deduction expired and renewed several times over the years, most recently with the passage of legislation that retroactively extended the deduction to December 31, 2017.
HR1865 extends the deduction from January 1, 2018 (retroactively) until December 31, 2020.
Specifically, the Act reads:
SEC. 131. Energy efficient commercial buildings deduction
In general. Section 179D(h) is amended by striking “December 31, 2017” and inserting “December 31, 2020.”
Effective dates. The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2017.
What this means: Lighting upgrade projects completed in 2018, 2019, and 2020 may qualify for the CBTD. Click here to learn more.
