How to apply for Livable Home Tax Credit — Virginia
Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), claimed on the Virginia income tax return
Who it's for
The Livable Home Tax Credit helps Virginians pay to make a home easier to live in with a disability or as you age. If you add an accessibility feature to your home, such as a zero-step entrance, wider doors, an accessible bathroom, a chair lift, or an elevator, you can get a state income tax credit of 50% of the cost, up to $6,500. Buying or building a new home that has accessibility features can earn a $6,500 credit. The feature must be a permanent part of the home. Rental units do not qualify. Apply to DHCD by January 31 of the year after the work is finished, and include receipts and before-and-after photos. DHCD sends an approval letter, and you claim the credit on your Virginia tax return. Unused credit can carry forward for up to 7 years.
The credit is for the cost of a permanent accessibility feature you paid for yourself. Features paid for by another grant program, or added only to meet a building or ADA rule, do not count. The credit cannot be more than your Virginia income tax, and DHCD may reduce credits if the yearly statewide cap is reached.
People who qualify for one senior program often qualify for others. See everything you may qualify for — free, no SSN, about five minutes.
Discover my benefitsWhat you'll need
- Livable Home Tax Credit application (online or mail-in) from DHCD
- For a retrofit: itemized list of the accessibility features, floor plans with those features marked, invoices, cancelled checks or card statements, and before and after photos
- For a new home: floor plans, Closing Disclosure, Certificate of Occupancy, building permit, and invoices
- Proof that you paid the costs yourself
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 804-773-0405
What to say when you call
"Hello, I'm calling to ask about Livable Home Tax Credit — Virginia. I'd like to know whether I may qualify, what documents I need, and whether I can apply online, by mail, by phone, or in person. I understand I may need livable Home Tax Credit application (online or mail-in) from DHCD, for a retrofit: itemized list of the accessibility features, floor plans with those features marked, invoices, cancelled checks or card statements, and before and after photos, for a new home: floor plans, Closing Disclosure, Certificate of Occupancy, building permit, and invoices — is anything else required? What is the best next step?"
Tip: have a pen ready, ask for the person's name, and write down any case or reference number they give you.
Renewals
none — one-time credit per project
Related programs
Other help that people in the same situation often look at.
- Tax ReliefVirginia Age Deduction (State Income Tax)Virginia Department of Taxation
- Tax ReliefFederal Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled (IRS Schedule R)Internal Revenue Service
- Energy AssistanceSenior Cool CareVirginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Division for Aging Services — sponsored by Dominion Energy, delivered through local Area Agencies on Aging
- Energy AssistanceVirginia Energy Assistance Program (Fuel, Crisis & Cooling)Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS)
Not sure if you qualify? Run a free check first.
Discover my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.