First established by Congress to further social or economic objectives such as promoting increased investment in disadvantaged communities, the general business tax credit is actually a series of nonrefundable tax credits individuals and business entities may be entitled to claim. As indicated below, the calculation of each credit requires a different form to file with your income tax return (Form 1040 or 1120); if you claim more than one type of credit, you may also need to file Form 3800.
For more information on these credits, see General Business Tax Credit.
| Name | Description | Form |
| Disabled access credit | A tax credit for an eligible small business that pays or incurs expenses to provide access to persons with disabilities. The expenses must be to enable the eligible small business to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. | 8826 |
| Empowermentzone employment credit | A tax credit for businesses that hire individuals who both live and work in a federally designated “empowerment zone,” such as certain areas of New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. (among others). This credit is 20% of qualifying wages, up to $15,000 per employee, for wages paid through the end of 2025. | 8844 |
| New markets credit | A tax credit for a qualified equity investment in a qualified community development entity made after December 31, 2000. The credit is claimed over a period of up to 7 years. To find the amount of credit each year, multiply the amount paid to the qualified community development entity for the investment by a percentage. The percentage is:5% for the year the investment is made and each of the next 2 years, and6% for each of the next 4 yearsThus, the credit totals 39% of your investment over a 7-year period. The credit is available through 2025. | 8874 |
| Indian employment credit | Provides businesses with an incentive to hire certain individuals who live on or near an Indian reservation. The business does not have to be in an empowerment zone, enterprise community, or renewal community to qualify for this credit. A business can claim the credit if it paid or incurred “qualified wages” to a “qualified employee.” Expires December 31, 2021. | 8845 |
| Work opportunity credit | Provides businesses with an incentive to hire individuals from groups that have a particularly high unemployment rate or other special employment needs. The business does not have to be in an empowerment zone, enterprise community, or renewal community to qualify for this credit. The business can claim the credit if it paid or incurred “qualified first-year wages” to a “targeted group employee.” Generally, the credit is worth up to 40% of qualified first-year wages not exceeding $6,000. Expires December 31, 2025. | 5884 |
| Low-income housing credit | This credit can be claimed only for residential rental buildings in low-income housing projects that meet one of the minimum set-aside tests. The low-income housing credit is determined as a percentage of the qualified basis of each new low-income building placed in service after 1986. This credit is taken over a 10-year period. In general, the 10-year credit period starts at the beginning of the tax year in which the building is placed in service. | 8586, with a copy of 8609 |
| Small employer pension plan start-up credit | A credit for costs paid or incurred, for retirement plans established after December 31, 2001. A business may be able to claim a tax credit for part of the ordinary and necessary costs of starting a qualified defined benefit plan, defined contribution plan (including a 401(k) plan), SIMPLE plan, or SEP plan. The credit equals 50% of the cost to set up and administer the plan and educate employees about the plan, for each of the first 3 years of the plan. The maximum credit ranges from $500 to $5,000 per year depending on the number of employees. | 8881 |
| Credit for employer – provided child care | A credit for an amount (not to exceed $150,000) equal to the sum of 25% of the qualified child-care expenditures and 10% of the qualified child-care resource and referral expenditures of a taxpayer for the taxable year. | 8882 |
| Investment credit | This credit is a combination of other credits, including:Rehabilitation credit for expenses incurred in rehabilitating certain older buildings. Generally, the percentage of costs a taxpayer can take as a credit is 20% for certified historic structures.Energy credit–a 10% (30% in 2006 through 2021) credit that applies to certain costs for solar or geothermal energy property placed in service during the tax year. The credit also applies to qualified fuel cell power plants and qualified small wind energy property.Qualifying advanced coal project credit–available to taxpayers who have received certification of their project as a qualifying project. | 3468 |
| Credit for employer – paid Social Security tax on employee tips | A credit for Social Security and Medicare taxes paid by a food or beverage establishment where tipping is customary for providing food or beverages. | 8846 |
| Research expense credit | Designed to encourage research investment, this is an incremental credit equal to the sum of:20% of the excess of qualified research expenditures for the taxable year over a base amount, and20% of any basic research payments | 6765 |
| Alcohol fuels credit | A credit based on selling or using certain types of alcohol as a fuel for transportation. | 6478 |
| Low sulphur diesel fuels credit | A credit of 5 cents for every gallon of low sulphur diesel fuel produced by a qualified small business, for expenses paid after 2002. | 8896 |
| Orphan drug credit | This credit applies to qualified expenses incurred in testing certain drugs for rare diseases and conditions, known as “orphan drugs.” | 8820 |
| Clean-fuel vehicle refueling property credit | For 2021, a 30% credit up to a maximum of $30,000 for installing clean-fuel vehicle refueling property for use in a trade or business (applies to both hydrogen and non-hydrogen qualified refueling property). Significantly lower limits apply to nonbusiness use of the property. Unless extended by Congress, the credit is not available in 2022. | 8911 |
| Energy – efficient new home construction credit | A credit of up to $2,000 for homebuilders and manufacturers of new single-family homes that reduce energy usage for heating and cooling by a certain percentage. Subject to several requirements and certification. Applies to homes substantially completed after December 31, 2005, and purchased after December 31, 2005, and before January 1, 2022. | 8908 |
| Indian coal credit | A credit for coal produced from reserves owned by federally-recognized Indian tribes. The credit is $1.50 per ton for coal sold in 2006 through 2009, and $2.00 per ton sold in 2010 through 2021. These amounts are indexed for inflation. | 8835 |
| Distilled spirits wholesalers credit | A credit for the average carrying costs of the excise tax on distilled spirits. Available to importers, wholesalers, and distillers. | 8906 |
| Differential wage payment credit | Employers can take a credit equal to 20% of all eligible differential wage payments made in a taxable year (up to $20,000 per employee) to qualified employees serving in the United States uniformed services. | 8932 |
