Airborne Act of 2026

Indoor air quality tax credit

If enacted, this bill would create a new indoor air quality tax credit for qualifying commercial, public, or 501(c)(3) property. You would get $1 per square foot for an IAQ assessment, $5 per square foot for air-cleaning upgrades and $50 per square foot for HVAC upgrades. Those upgrade rates would rise to $25 and $250 per square foot if prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules are met, including at least 15% of total labor hours by qualified apprentices. The credit for air cleaning and HVAC upgrades would be limited to 50% of your upgrade spending for the taxable year, and the assessment credit cannot exceed the amount you paid for the assessment. You would have to reduce the tax basis of the property by the credit amount and you could not deduct amounts taken into account in computing the credit. The IRS would write rules to define qualified assessments and certified upgrades after consulting DOE or EPA, and the Department of Energy would set up a voluntary certification program within 365 days after enactment. These rules would apply to amounts paid or incurred after December 31, 2026, in taxable years ending after that date.