The Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits are confusing, so the White House launched a website to help

The Biden administration launched a new website — CleanEnergy.gov — aimed at helping Americans navigate the new green energy tax credits contained in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). That could especially be useful for people looking to buy a new electric vehicle but finding themselves confused by the litany of new requirements about assembly and battery materials.

The $739 billion measure carries a host of tax credits and discounts on everything from EVs to solar energy to regular appliances like refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines. The new website is designed to help Americans save money on home upgrades or new purchases while also steering them toward cleaner, more efficient products.

The website serves as a hub for basic questions about the clean energy tax credits, redirecting visitors to other government sites that contain more detailed information about solar roof installation, heat pumps, and other repairs they could make to make their home more energy efficient.

The EV tax credit, though, will likely draw the most attention, as the IRA enshrined a new confusing list of rules about which vehicles are eligible for the $7,500 incentive.

The White House’s website offers basic information about the tax credit, redirecting those visitors to the Internal Revenue Service page that has a more detailed rundown of the requirements. For example, only vehicles that are assembled in North America are eligible for the credit.

That page, though, only refers to a list of vehicles that “may meet the final assembly requirement” and advises interested car buyers to search the vehicle identification number (VIN) to “identify the manufacture location for a specific vehicle.” In other words, it takes more sleuthing on the part of the consumer to determine whether the EV they are interested in meets the requirements for the EV tax credit.

White House officials insisted that this was only the “first phase” of the website and that it was designed to evolve over time as more provisions in the IRA go into effect and automakers and other stakeholders adjust to the vast set of new rules.

And officials acknowledged that the new website will not be the only resource available to most Americans interested in finding the right incentives. The administration says it will work with private industry and consumer advocacy organizations to continue to get the word out about the clean energy tax credits to ensure people have access to the most helpful information.