This bill creates a 50% tax credit for individuals purchasing qualified mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, braces, or prosthetics. The credit applies to costs paid after the bill's enactment, covers up to three devices per year, and prevents double benefits by reducing other deductions for the same expenses. It directly affects people who buy these devices for mobility needs, allowing them to claim the credit on their federal income tax returns. The credit is designed to offset out-of-pocket costs for essential mobility equipment.
This bill allows disaster victims to use their previous year's income instead of current year's income when calculating eligibility for the child tax credit and earned income credit. It directly affects taxpayers whose homes or workplaces were in a federally declared disaster zone during the disaster period, or those displaced from their homes due to the disaster. Key provisions let eligible individuals elect to substitute their prior taxable year's earned income for the current year in credit calculations, simplifying access to relief after income disruptions. The changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.
This bill creates a 10% federal tax credit for businesses that install qualified combined heat and power (CHP) systems - systems generating both electricity and useful thermal energy (like steam or heating) with at least 60% overall efficiency. It directly affects commercial entities, industrial facilities, and organizations building new CHP systems that meet specific efficiency standards (producing at least 20% thermal energy and 20% electrical power). The credit includes a 10% bonus for systems using domestically manufactured components or located in designated energy communities, and excludes systems exceeding 50 megawatts in capacity. The credit applies to systems placed in service after December 31, 2024, with detailed definitions for qualifying systems in the tax code.
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act creates three tax credits to support local news organizations. Individuals can claim a credit of up to $250 per year for local newspaper subscriptions (80% in first year, 50% after), with newspapers required to serve local communities and employ local journalists. Local newspaper publishers can receive a payroll tax credit for hiring local news journalists (50% for first four quarters, 30% after), and small businesses with fewer than 50 full-time employees can claim a credit for advertising in local media (up to $5,000 in first year, $2,500 thereafter). All credits expire after five years and apply only to qualifying local newspapers, radio stations, or television stations serving specific communities.
The Building Ships in America Act of 2025 creates a tax credit for investments in U.S. shipbuilding, equal to 33% of the cost of building qualifying vessels, with potential additional credits (up to 5% for U.S. insurance and 2% for U.S. classification standards). To qualify, vessels must be U.S. flag cargo ships built in the U.S., operating in U.S. foreign trade, meeting specific safety requirements, and operating under a 10-year agreement with the Maritime Administration. The bill also establishes a separate credit for shipyard construction and excludes certain maritime security payments from taxable income. These provisions aim to strengthen the U.S. maritime industry by making domestic shipbuilding more economically attractive while meeting national security requirements.
This bill permanently extends the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program, which incentivizes private investment in low-income communities. It modifies the tax code to keep the credit available beyond 2025 (replacing "2020 through 2025" with "2020 and each calendar year thereafter") and adds automatic annual inflation adjustments to the credit amount starting in 2026. The bill also provides tax relief by allowing NMTC credits to offset the alternative minimum tax, specifically for investments made after December 2024. This directly affects community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and investors who fund projects in designated low-income areas.
S 2664, the Skilled Workforce Act, creates a 30% federal tax credit for businesses investing in training facilities that address workforce shortages in high-demand industries like high-tech manufacturing, clean energy, construction, and advanced transportation. The credit applies to eligible institutions (such as community colleges, career schools, and public secondary schools) partnering with businesses to build or upgrade facilities for skills-based training programs. Projects must be certified by Treasury and Commerce, with a total funding cap of $500 million, prioritizing rural schools and those serving underserved communities. The credit cannot be combined with other tax benefits for the same investment and applies to property placed in service after the bill's enactment.
HR 2153, the Fight for Families Act of 2025, makes a portion of the federal adoption tax credit refundable for families adopting children with special needs. Specifically, it treats the part of the credit covering special needs adoption expenses as refundable - meaning eligible families could receive a cash refund even if they owe no income tax. This directly affects taxpayers who adopt children with special needs and claim the credit under Section 23 of the Internal Revenue Code. The change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and modifies how the credit is calculated and applied.
This bill reclassifies two types of restaurant tips as "voluntary" for tax purposes: (1) tips automatically added to a customer's bill at payment time, and (2) tips suggested by a business (like "18% suggested"). It directly affects customers paying large group bills and restaurants that use these tip structures. The key provision exempts these specific tips from being counted as taxable income under current tax rules, meaning customers wouldn't owe income tax on them. This is a concrete policy change to the tax treatment of certain service charges, not a broader tax overhaul.
The SIFIA Act creates tax credit bonds to finance school infrastructure projects, allowing investors to claim a 25% annual tax credit based on the bond's face value. It requires projects to be net-zero energy buildings and mandates completion within six years, with school districts partnering with private developers meeting strict experience and reporting criteria. The bill allocates $10 billion total for these bonds ($2.5 billion annually), including $1 billion reserved for rural school projects. It also includes rules for bond redemption if funds aren't spent on time and sets limits on how much a single school district can borrow.