Skip to content
Plug & Pylon

Money back

EV charger tax credits and rebates in 2026

The federal credit is gone. A lot of pages still say otherwise, so here is the current position and where the remaining money actually is.

By Sawyer V. · Published September 8, 2026

A calculator and paperwork on a desk

What the credit used to be

For property bought and placed in service at a main home between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2026, the credit was 30% of the cost up to a maximum of $1,000 per item. It also carried a location requirement: the charger had to be installed in a low-income community or a non-urban census tract, which excluded a great many suburban households even while it was live.

If you installed a qualifying charger before the expiry and have not yet claimed it, that is a question for your tax preparer, not for us.

Where the money still is

  1. Your electric utility. This is the most likely source. Many utilities offer rebates on the charger, the installation, or both, and some offer a discounted EV electricity rate that is worth more over time than any one-off rebate. Search your utility's name plus "EV charger rebate".
  2. Your state. Several states run their own charger or charging-infrastructure incentives. Programs open, close and exhaust their funding, so check the current status directly rather than relying on a list.
  3. Your city or county. Less common, but they exist.
  4. Your employer. Some offer workplace charging or a home-charging subsidy as a benefit.

The Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center maintains a searchable database of federal and state incentives, linked in the sources below. It is the right starting point because it is maintained by the agency rather than by someone selling chargers.

What rebate programs usually require

  • A permitted, licensed installation. Another reason not to skip the permit.
  • A qualifying charger, often meaning Energy Star certified or on a published approved list. Check before you buy, not after.
  • Itemized documentation -- receipts separating hardware from labor.
  • Application within a window, sometimes before installation. Read the rules first; some programs require pre-approval and will not pay retroactively.

FAQ

Questions people actually ask

Is there still a federal tax credit for home EV chargers?
No. The Section 30C residential credit expired on June 30, 2026. Property placed in service at a main home after that date does not qualify.
When did the 30C EV charger credit expire?
June 30, 2026, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Before that it was 30% of cost up to $1,000, with a census-tract location requirement.
Are there any EV charger rebates left?
Yes, from utilities, states, and occasionally cities and employers. Utility programs are the most common and often the most generous.
Do rebates require a permit?
Usually. Most programs require a permitted installation by a licensed electrician and itemized documentation, and some require pre-approval before the work starts.

Sources

Where these numbers come from

  1. Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit for individuals — Internal Revenue ServiceAuthority for the residential credit and its expiry. Verified 2026-09-08 -- re-check before relying on it.
  2. Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit — US Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data CenterMaintained federal and state incentive database.
  3. Federal tax credits for EV charging infrastructure (30C) — Plug In AmericaCorroborating summary of the credit's terms and expiry. Fetched 2026-09-08.

Read next

Related reading