|
Disruption. It's coming for the U.S. dollar in the form of digital currency. Last week the Biden administration detailed a broad plan for adopting a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the coming years. The Departments of Energy, Commerce, the Treasury, and other agencies weighed in on how to manage and regulate a CBDC.
The government is reacting in part to the explosive growth of digital currencies. About three out of ten U.S. adults currently invest in some form of cryptocurrency, or "crypto," like Bitcoin or Ethereum. These digital "coins" rely on a decentralized network of computers to verify financial transactions, cutting out third parties like banks or credit cards.
The good, the bad, and the ugly of crypto
Advocates of crypto point to its affordability, efficiency, and its ability to reach consumers with little or no access to traditional banking services. With just a mobile phone or a crypto ATM, consumers can easily send and receive digital currency, even across international borders.
On the other hand, crypto is still largely unregulated and volatile. Investors in Bitcoin, for example, saw returns of over 70% in 2021, but the currency is down almost 60% year to date. And if you send your payment to the wrong account (called a "digital wallet") there may be no way to retrieve it. Crypto has also been used for money laundering, fraud, and to fund terrorism. Several
|
|
President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on August 16. The massive climate, energy, tax, and healthcare package contains numerous clean energy incentives including tax credits for the purchase of new and used electric vehicles. But you may not have heard that the new law also revives the tax credit for electric vehicle charging stations and equipment that had expired in 2021. There are some changes to the prior charging station tax credit that you will want to be aware of, so that you can potentially use the tax break for your own EV charger.
What is the Tax Write Off for EV Chargers?
The federal tax credit for electric vehicle chargers originally expired on December 31, 2021. However, the Inflation Reduction Act's Alternative Fuel Refueling Property tax credit extends the EV charger tax incentive ten years—through December 31, 2032.
SEE MORE EV Tax Credits Are Changing: What's Ahead
So, what does that mean for you? Essentially, if you install an EV charging station at home, the tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act is 30% of the cost of hardware and installation, up to $1,000. Also, beginning in 2023, the tax credit for business and home installations, will apply to other EV charging equipment like bidirectional (i.e., two-way) chargers.
Businesses that that install new EV chargers or EV charging equipment can also benefit from a tax incentive of up to 30% of the total cost of equipment and installation. But they will have to meet certain labor and construction requirements to be eligible to claim the full incentive.
Before the Inflation Reduction Act, the limit on the amount of the EV charger tax credit for businesses was $30,000 (which still applies to projects completed before the end of 2022). However, under the new law, if you complete the business installa
|
|
