§179E Election to Expense Advanced Mine Safety Equipment

Summary

You can choose to treat 50 percent of the cost of certain mine-safety equipment as an ordinary expense and deduct that amount in the year you put the equipment into service. The equipment must be for use in an underground U.S. mine, its original use must start with you, and you must place it in service after the law was enacted (the rule does not apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2017). You cannot claim the same portion of cost under section 179. To make the choice you must put the election on your tax return for that year, say which equipment it covers, and follow rules the Secretary sets. You cannot undo the election unless the Secretary agrees. You also must file a report with the Secretary about your mine operations to get the deduction. Qualifying equipment covers things like emergency communication, electronic tracking of miners, self-rescue oxygen that lasts at least 90 minutes, pre‑positioned oxygen supplies that with self‑rescue devices give at least 48 hours of survival, and comprehensive air‑monitoring for carbon monoxide, methane, oxygen, and smoke.