The Federal 30C EV Charger Tax Credit Has Ended: What Connecticut Homeowners Still Need to Verify

The federal Section 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, which covered 30 percent of EV charger installation costs up to $1,000 for residential installations, applied only to property placed in service on or before June 30, 2026. Property placed in service on or after July 1, 2026 does not qualify. If you had a Level 2 charger installation completed in Connecticut inside that window, here is how to verify that it qualifies, what you need for your tax filing, and what comes next for CT homeowners who missed the window.

Update: this article was written as the 30C window was closing. The window has since closed. The credit applied to property placed in service on or before June 30, 2026; property placed in service on or after July 1, 2026 does not qualify, and there is no announced extension or replacement. The verification and documentation steps below still matter for anyone filing a 2026 return on an install completed inside the window.

What the 30C Credit Covered and the Placed-in-Service Cutoff

Section 30C of the Internal Revenue Code provided a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost to purchase and install qualifying EV charging equipment. For residential installations, the credit is capped at $1,000 per port. Commercial and business charging projects fall under a separate set of federal rules, and Connecticut's own utility rebates for commercial EV charging are a separate program that is not income-tested. The credit directly reduces the tax you owe on your federal return for the year in which the qualifying installation is completed.

The cutoff was a hard one and it turned on placed-in-service date, not purchase date: to claim the 30C credit on your 2026 federal tax return, the charger equipment had to be purchased, installed, permitted by the local building department, inspected, and fully operational - that is, placed in service - on or before June 30, 2026. Property placed in service on or after July 1, 2026 does not qualify. An installation that was booked but not yet inspected as of June 30 does not qualify, regardless of when you paid for the equipment.

The census tract eligibility requirement is a common point of confusion. The 30C credit is not available at every property in Connecticut. The IRS requires that the installation be located in a qualifying low-income or non-urban census tract as defined by specific IRS criteria. Checking your address against the IRS census tract eligibility tool before your installation date is an essential step that many homeowners skip. Your licensed electrician or TJF Electric can help you verify census tract eligibility before work begins or before you file your return.

What Connecticut Homeowners With Completed Installations Should Verify Before Filing

If your Level 2 EV charger installation was completed inside the window, there are three things to confirm before you file. First, verify that your property address falls within a qualifying IRS census tract. Second, confirm that the work was done by a licensed Connecticut electrician, because the 30C credit requires professional installation - that is a condition of the tax credit, not a statement about who Connecticut law allows to do electrical work, and Connecticut does exempt homeowners doing work in a single-family home they own and occupy. Third, confirm that the municipal permit was obtained and that the inspection was completed on or before June 30.

Inspection scheduling was the bottleneck for most homeowners who came up short. Municipal electrical inspections in Connecticut are scheduled through local building departments, and some towns had limited availability for same-day or next-day appointments in the final week of June. If your install was physically complete but the inspection did not happen on or before June 30, the property was not placed in service inside the window and the credit does not apply.

For installations that are already complete and inspected, the documentation you need for your tax return includes the receipts for the equipment and labor, the inspection certificate from the building department confirming the installation is code-compliant, and confirmation of your census tract eligibility. TJF Electric provides all of this documentation to our customers as part of every EV charger installation project. If you had your installation done by another contractor and need help gathering documentation, call TJF Electric at any time.

What Comes Next: Connecticut EV Incentives After the 30C Credit Expires

For property placed in service on or after July 1, 2026 the federal 30C credit is no longer available, and no extension or replacement has been announced. Connecticut homeowners who were planning an EV charger installation but missed the 30C window are not entirely without incentives, but the landscape has become more complicated since January 1, 2026.

Connecticut's Eversource residential EV charger rebates were previously available to all qualifying customers but became income-restricted as of January 1, 2026 under a Connecticut law signed by the governor in July 2025. That law imposed funding limitations on EV programs, significantly reducing the scale of available rebates and restricting eligibility to households that meet specific income requirements. If you previously received an Eversource rebate or are planning to apply for one, you should verify your current eligibility directly with Eversource at eversource.com before assuming you qualify under the new income-restricted structure.

The combined impact of the 30C credit ending and the income restriction of Eversource rebates means that the financial incentive landscape for Connecticut EV charger installations has shifted meaningfully in 2026. Level 2 charger installations remain practical and valuable even without incentives, since a properly installed 240-volt circuit provides fast, reliable home charging that protects your EV battery better than Level 1 charging. Call TJF Electric to get a current estimate and understand what incentives, if any, apply to your specific situation. As a licensed Connecticut electrical contractor serving Greater Hartford and Tolland County, we track all available programs so our customers get accurate information before they commit.

7 Things Connecticut Homeowners Must Check to Claim the 30C Credit on a Qualifying Install

The 30C credit required more than just installing a charger. Work through this checklist to confirm an install placed in service on or before June 30, 2026 actually qualifies.

1. Verify your address is in a qualifying IRS census tract: The 30C credit requires the property to be located in a low-income or non-urban census tract as defined by the IRS. Not all Connecticut addresses qualify. Use the IRS eligibility mapping tool or ask your electrician to verify before you file.
2. Confirm the installation was by a licensed Connecticut electrician: The 30C credit required professional installation as a condition of the credit. That is separate from state licensing law, which exempts a homeowner doing the work in a single-family home they own and occupy - but a self-install would not have satisfied the credit's professional-installation condition. Verify your installer's license with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (ct.gov/dcp).
3. Ensure a municipal permit was obtained: A building permit is required for EV charger installations in Connecticut. Work done without a permit does not qualify for the credit and may create liability issues when you sell your home.
4. Confirm the municipal inspection was completed on or before June 30: The installation had to pass inspection and be documented as complete on or before June 30, 2026 to count as placed in service inside the window. If the inspection happened on or after July 1, 2026, the install does not qualify.
5. Keep the equipment purchase receipt and the labor invoice: These documents support the credit claim on your federal tax return. The credit covers both the equipment cost and the installation labor cost. Keep both receipts with your tax records.
6. Confirm the equipment is new, not used or refurbished: The 30C credit applies to new qualifying equipment. Used or refurbished chargers do not qualify even if they are professionally installed and inspected.
7. Work with your tax professional to claim the credit correctly: The 30C credit is claimed on IRS Form 8911. Your tax professional or CPA can ensure the credit is properly calculated and that all eligibility documentation is in order. TJF Electric can provide a certificate of completion confirming the installation details needed for the form.

Frequently asked questions

My Level 2 charger was installed in 2026 but the inspection happened later. Can I still claim the 30C credit?

For the credit to apply to your 2026 tax return, the installation had to be fully complete, including the final inspection, and placed in service on or before June 30, 2026. An installation that was physically complete but had not yet passed inspection may not satisfy the 'fully operational' requirement. If the inspection happened on or after July 1, 2026, the property was not placed in service inside the window and the 30C credit is not available for it. Talk to your tax professional about your specific facts.

What if I am not in a qualifying census tract? Are there other Connecticut EV charger incentives?

If your property does not fall in a qualifying census tract for the 30C credit, you may still be eligible for Eversource utility rebates, though the residential single-family upfront rebate has been limited since January 1, 2026 to income-qualified (at or below 300% of the federal poverty level) and HPLO-eligible customers, up to $1,500 total across charger and/or wiring, with Managed Charging enrollment required. Commercial projects run through a separate Eversource program that is active in 2026 and is not income-tested; multi-family and condo projects go through their own Eversource track. Contact Eversource directly at eversource.com to determine your current eligibility. Federal and state EV incentive programs change regularly, and your TJF Electric estimator can provide updated information about available incentives at the time of your installation.

Does the 30C credit apply to Level 1 charging (standard 120-volt outlet)?

No. Standard 120-volt outlets, which are used for Level 1 charging, do not typically qualify for the 30C credit. The credit is designed for the installation of dedicated EV charging equipment, which in residential applications means a Level 2 charger connected to a 240-volt circuit installed specifically for that purpose. A standard outlet that is simply used to plug in a vehicle does not qualify.