Well, 2010 is over and, although we may not be too excited about it, many of us are preparing to file our federal tax returns. Homeowners who purchased highly energy-efficient windows to take advantage of the $1,500 federal tax credit for 2010 now need to gather the necessary documentation to get the tax credit.

Homeowners will need two types of documentation: 1) Receipts showing their 2010 purchase and installation of windows that meet the tax credit criteria, and 2) the window label showing the NFRC ratings (e.g., U-values and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients) – OR the Manufacturer’s certification statement that shows that the windows purchased are products that meet the criteria.

This may sound a little confusing, but it’s actually pretty straight-forward. Of course every homeowner should have his or her receipts. In regard to the second documentation item needed, some home improvement companies or window dealers provided the NFRC window labels to homeowners upon completion of the window installation. If not, and homeowners cannot get a replacement NFRC window label, they need the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement. This should be available from the window manufacturer.

Forward-thinking window manufacturers offer downloadable PDF files of the manufacturer’s certification statements on their web sites. Gorell provides a helpful overview of the tax credit program as well as the certification statement PDFs for homeowners at http://www.gorell.com/taxcredits. There are also PDFs on this web page that show homeowners which Gorell products meet the tax credit criteria and which do not. Fortunately, a very high percentage of Gorell windows do meet the criteria.

Some Manufacturer’s Certification Statements also include an area for the homeowner to write in information about the products, purchase and installation dates, the contractor or company that sold and/or installed the windows, etc. On Gorell’s forms, this is called Homeowner’s Records, and this section makes it easier for both the homeowner and the preparer in completing the federal tax returns.