Solar Panels and the tax credit for Rv's

[Ozz]

Wayne, you are a big man to admit you were wrong, Dang I hat it when I give out what I believe is good advice when in fact it is not quite good.. sometimes just rotten
But we all mean well and are always trying to help one another. We don't find fault with anyone who is trying to help.
This is relatively unplowed ground, the reason of my post. We got quite a pile of Peanut shells around the old wood stove on this one, but that is what it takes to find out stuff.

[waynemoore]

Thanks but I would love to hear what you CPA says. And I will be on the phone to the IRS on my hotline in the morning.

[Ozz]

That is like Russian Roulette, sometime you get someone knowledgeable, sometimes not so much

[waynemoore]

Ok I just got off the phone with the IRS. The answer is "No Answer" after going thought the screening operator (a real person) who forwarded me to the correct agent to answer my question I got a recording. The recording informed me that the IRS no longer answers this type question and I should look it up on their web site.

Now let's understand I called the Tax practitioners hot line. If I can't get an answer, there is just no way the general tax payer could. And if I have difficulty fingering out just what a rule or code means how is the poor person trying to do their taxes on the off the shelf tax programs. But not is all lost I have other sources to go to and I will do so today.

As you can tell this is starting to make me crazy. I just may copy the code put it on here and let the group try to figure it out. Or would that be mean?

[Ozz]

Sue went to our CPA today, he said he will check and get back to us.

Time for tax reform anyone???

[waynemoore]

Ok my last word on this. I was correct the first time and because I back tracked I got a lot of flack from my associates. I talked to three other EA's they all said the same thing "it is not deductible other than the main home". In fact one of them had a letter from the IRS on his desk that a new client received denying the claim. And just so you know the client did his taxes himself with TurboTax.

[7.3Ford]

The form was redone starting 2012, but I still think you can claim it. The 2011 form was a lot easier to understand.

It all depends on if our RV meets the "Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards". Which is and endless link to other sites, so is really open as to what the standard is.

See 2014 instructions:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i5695--2014.pdf

[Bigboomer]

When we reviewed our tax credit for the solar install we were already full timing in our rig so it was our primary home. Our accountant verified this when we gave him all our documentation.

[WaltBennett]

From those 2014 instructions:

"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 does not have to be your main home."

Note the LAST sentence. The actual form makes you think otherwise, but the instructions are supposedly what you're supposed to follow.

[waynemoore]

Walt it would have been helpfull if you said the rig was your main home. When it says it need not be your main home it is relating to a new build that you intend to move in within 90 days of compilation. Or when the city approves move in. Most of these regs refer one to another sub part also one has to read then in their entireity.