There's good news for commercial building owners who have wanted to "go green," but have been waiting to see whether the tax incentives for green buildings, set to expire at the end of 2008, would be extended. The historic financial rescue bill (H.R. 1424), signed by President Bush on Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, also included the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 ("TEAMTRA"). Among the taxextenders in TEAMTRA was a five-year extension of the tax incentives for "green" commercial buildings.

Internal Revenue Code Section 179D gives owners of commercial real property a tax break by allowing them to deduct the cost of certain energy-efficient property. It applies to both new construction and to retrofits of existing construction. Prior to TEAMTRA, this tax break only applied to property placed in service on or prior to Dec. 31, 2008. With the extension of this provision to Dec. 31, 2013, property owners now have sufficient time to design, construct and complete projects that will qualify for this tax break. Although numerous bills had been introduced in Congress that would have raised the amount deductible under Section 179D, TEAMTRA did not contain any increase in this amount. The deduction is still limited to the product of $1.80 multiplied by the square footage of the building.

For a brief overview of the Section 179D deduction for "green" buildings, see "New Tax Incentives for 'Green' Buildings Have Owners Seeing Green," in The Critical Path, Fall 2006; for a more detailed discussion, see "New Tax Incentives for 'Green' Buildings Have Owners Seeing Green," in the ABA's The Construction Lawyer, Summer 2007.

This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.