The EV Charger Tax Credit Expires June 30, 2026

What the 30C credit is and how much it covers

It's called the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, or “30C” after its section of the tax code. For a home charger it works out to 30% of what you spend on the equipment and installation, capped at $1,000 per item (per charging port). Spend $2,500 on a charger and a licensed install and you're looking at the full $1,000 back, assuming you qualify.

One thing to be clear about: it's a tax credit, not a rebate. You don't get a check in the mail — it reduces what you owe the IRS when you file, and it's nonrefundable, so you need enough tax liability to use it. You claim it on Form 8911 with the return for the year the charger is placed in service.

There's also a location rule that catches people out: the charger has to sit in an eligible census tract— broadly, a low-income community tract or one that isn't classed as urban. The IRS publishes a mapping tool you can check with your address before you count on the money. A lot of the country qualifies, but don't assume — confirm yours first.

What you need to do to claim it in time

The whole game is the placed-in-service date. The credit covers property placed in service from January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026 — so the charger must be fully installed and operational on or before June 30, 2026. Buying the unit in June and getting it wired in July does not count. To stay on the right side of the deadline:

• •Book a licensed electrician now — the closer it gets to June, the tighter installer calendars get, and a panel upgrade can add weeks.
• •Confirm your address is in an eligible census tract before you buy, using the IRS mapping tool.
• •Make sure the charger is energized and working — not just delivered — on or before June 30, 2026.
• •Keep your receipts for both the equipment and the installation labor, and file Form 8911 with that year's return.

What happens after June 30, 2026

Once the deadline passes, the federal 30C credit no longer applies to new home chargers — there's no extension built into the current law and no way to claim it retroactively for an install that goes live on July 1 or later. If you genuinely can't make the date, it's better to plan around the programs that don't expire than to bank on a federal credit you can no longer get.

What's still available after the deadline: state & utility programs

The federal credit was only ever half the story, and the state and utility programs are where a lot of the savings actually hide — and most of them run on their own schedules, independent of the 30C deadline. Plenty of utilities will knock $500–$1,000 off the wiring or the charger itself, and a number of states add their own rebate or credit on top.

We keep a running, sourced list by state. Start with EV charger rebates & incentives by state, or jump straight to a big one: California, New York, Texas or Florida. You can also find local install costs and programs on your state installation page.

Frequently asked questions