The Federal EV Tax Credit Is Dead—But You Have Until June 30 to Claim $1,000 for a Home Charger
If you were counting on a federal tax break to knock thousands off an EV, the rules changed. The Internal Revenue Service now says vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025 aren’t eligible for the clean vehicle credits, including new and previously owned vehicles. That’s the official line, and it shuts the door on a lot of deal math.
The twist is that one smaller credit still matters if you drive electric or plan to. The credit for home charging equipment didn’t vanish on the same date, but it does have a deadline you can’t ignore.
What the Home-Charger Credit Covers
The home-charger credit lives in the tax code as the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit. The basic idea is simple: if you install qualifying charging equipment at your main home, you may be able to claim a credit worth 30% of the cost, up to $1,000 for personal-use property. That cap and percentage sit right in the statute.
But you can’t assume you qualify just because you bought a wall box. The IRS instructions for Form 8911 get blunt: the property has to be installed at your main home and located in an eligible census tract. Those same instructions also explain “placed in service” in plain terms: it counts when the charger is ready and available for use—when it’s operational—not when it ships.
Now the date that matters: the IRS clean-vehicle page notes that the refueling property credit applies only to property placed in service before July 1, 2026. In plain English, that means the charger has to be installed and working by June 30, 2026. Ordering hardware doesn’t count if the install drifts into July.
There’s also a practical reason to move early. Electricians book up. Permits slow you down. The “easy install” that looked like a Saturday project turns into a calendar fight when everyone else has the same deadline.
My Verdict
Don’t chase a dead purchase credit. If you’re already committed to an EV, chase the stuff that still saves you money every day: home charging, smart scheduling, and a clean install.
Your play is to check eligibility first, line up the electrician early, and keep every receipt. If you can’t get installed by June 30, 2026, assume you’re paying full freight. No drama. Just reality. Get it done while the credit still exists.