EV Charger Tax Credit in NJ: 30C Expired June 30, 2026 — What Is Left

For most of 2025 and the first half of 2026, New Jersey homeowners could get 30% back — up to $1,000 — on the cost of buying and installing a home Level 2 EV charger through the federal Section 30C tax credit. That credit was originally written to run through 2032, but in July 2025 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) moved the residential deadline up to June 30, 2026. Chargers had to be purchased, installed, and placed in service on or before that date. As of July 1, 2026, the residential credit is gone.

If your charger was placed in service on or before June 30, 2026, you can still claim the credit — this guide walks through eligibility and the Form 8911 filing. If you're installing today, the federal credit no longer applies, but the PSE&G EV Charging Program rebate (up to $1,500 toward the make-ready service work) is still active and remains the incentive to focus on.

What Is the 30C EV Charger Tax Credit?

Section 30C of the Internal Revenue Code provides a federal income tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of purchasing and installing qualified EV charging equipment at your home. For residential filers, the credit is capped at $1,000 per dwelling unit.

The credit covers both the hardware (the Level 2 charger itself) and the installation labor. So if you pay $800 for the charger and $1,200 for licensed electrician installation and permit fees — a realistic total for a straightforward Hudson County install — your 30% credit on $2,000 is $600. If your total project runs $3,500 or more (common when a panel upgrade is also needed), the credit maxes out at $1,000.

A few critical eligibility details:

• The charger must be new equipment — you can't claim a credit on an existing charger you already had installed.
• Installation must be complete and the charger placed in service by June 30, 2026 — not just ordered or scheduled.
• The charger must be at your primary or secondary residence.
• Your home must be in a qualifying census tract (more on this below).
• You claim the credit using IRS Form 8911 with your federal tax return for the year the charger was installed.

What's Still Available in NJ After the 30C Expiration

With the federal credit gone for new installs, the incentive picture in New Jersey is simpler — but there's still real money on the table:

• PSE&G EV Charging Program rebate (active): Up to $1,500 toward the make-ready work for eligible PSE&G customers — running the dedicated 240V circuit, panel coordination, and meter upgrades if needed. PSE&G customers who need a utility-side service upgrade may also qualify for a reduction of up to $5,000 in the required customer deposit. This is now the primary install incentive in NJ. See our full PSE&G EV charger rebate guide.
• Federal 30C Tax Credit: Up to $1,000 (30% of equipment + installation). Expired June 30, 2026 — only chargers placed in service on or before that date qualify. No credit for installs after that.
• Charge Up NJ Program: $250 per Level 2 charger through NJ Clean Energy. Funding was exhausted and the program closed to new applicants on February 23, 2026 — no longer available.

If your charger was placed in service on or before June 30, 2026, you can still stack the federal 30C credit (up to $1,000) with the PSE&G rebate (up to $1,500) on your return — up to $2,500 combined. For installs after that date, plan around the PSE&G rebate alone. On a typical Level 2 install in Jersey City or Hudson County — which runs $1,800 to $3,500 depending on panel condition and charger location — the PSE&G rebate still takes a meaningful bite out of your out-of-pocket cost.

Important note for pre-deadline installs: the PSE&G make-ready rebate is separate from and was stackable with the federal 30C credit. They cover different scopes — the federal credit covered charger + wiring, while PSE&G's program covers service-upgrade costs — so claiming one never disqualified you from the other.

Did Your Home Qualify? The Census Tract Requirement (for pre-deadline installs)

If you're claiming the 30C credit for a charger placed in service on or before June 30, 2026, one eligibility rule trips up some homeowners: the property had to be in a low-income community or rural census tract as defined by the IRS. This was added as part of the Inflation Reduction Act to target the credit toward communities that need it most.

The good news for Hudson County: many of the densest areas — including parts of Jersey City, Bayonne, Union City, West New York, and Kearny — qualify because they're designated low-income census tracts. This means a large portion of Malfettone Electric's core service area is actually eligible.

How to check your specific address: use the Rewiring America Eligibility Estimator (available at rewiringamerica.org) or the IRS's Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit mapping tool. Enter your address and it will tell you whether you're in a qualifying tract. It takes two minutes and will tell you definitively whether you're eligible before you book an install.

If your address doesn't qualify — which is more common in suburban Essex and Bergen County — you still have access to the PSE&G make-ready rebate (up to $1,500), just not the federal 30C credit. (Note: the Charge Up NJ $250 rebate was exhausted in February 2026 and is no longer available regardless of location.)

How Long Does an EV Charger Installation Take in NJ?

Even without the federal deadline, timeline is the question most homeowners ask. Here's a realistic timeline for a residential Level 2 charger install in Hudson County:

• Free estimate: Same day or next day — we do virtual and on-site estimates. The estimate covers charger location, panel capacity check, permit scope, and price.
• NJ electrical permit: Most Hudson County municipalities process EV charger permits in 3–10 business days. We pull the permit — you don't have to do anything.
• Installation day: A straightforward Level 2 install on an existing 200-amp panel takes 4–6 hours. Panel upgrade plus charger is typically a full day.
• Inspection: Required in NJ. Most municipalities schedule inspections within 5–10 business days of install. The charger is operational before inspection — inspection is a sign-off step, not a delay to use your charger.

Start to finish, including permit and inspection, the typical install timeline in Hudson County is 2–4 weeks. With the federal credit now closed, there's no artificial deadline to race — but the PSE&G rebate is still worth locking in, and getting on the schedule early always beats waiting.

One important note: if your home runs on a 100-amp panel and needs a 200-amp service upgrade before the charger can be added, factor in an extra 2–4 weeks for the PSE&G ESI process (the utility service upgrade coordination). If you're unsure whether your panel can support a charger, let us know at the estimate stage — we'll check and tell you upfront.

What to Do Now

The federal window has closed, but installing a home charger the right way still pays off — through the PSE&G rebate, lower charging costs on the new time-of-use rate, and a permitted, inspected job that won't create resale or insurance headaches. Here's the shortest path to a live EV charger:

1. Confirm you're a PSE&G customer and check the current PSE&G EV Charging Program rebate (up to $1,500) — this is the incentive that's still active.
2. Call us at (848) 294-1739 or visit malfettoneelectric.com/contact for a free, no-obligation estimate. We'll walk you through the scope, permit timeline, and exactly what qualifies.
3. We pull the permit, schedule the install, and handle the PSE&G coordination if a service upgrade is needed.
4. If your charger was placed in service on or before June 30, 2026, we provide all documentation you need to file IRS Form 8911 with your tax return.

We've been installing EV chargers across Hudson County since the first Level 2 home chargers hit the market. We know the incentives that are still live, we know the municipal permit process cold, and we know how to get a job done right. Reach out and we'll make sure you capture every dollar available to you today.

Related Reading

Pick the right charger:

• Tesla Wall Connector vs ChargePoint in NJ — Head-to-head comparison of the two most installed Level 2 chargers.

Permits and process:

• EV Charger Permit in Jersey City: Cost & Timeline — Exactly what the JC permit process looks like.
• How to Get Your NJ Condo HOA to Approve an EV Charger — Your legal rights under NJ state law.

Charge smarter, pay less:

• PSE&G Time-of-Use Rates in NJ (2026) — The opt-in rate that rewards off-peak charging.
• Tesla Powerwall 3 Installation in NJ — Pair battery storage with EV charging for max savings.
• 200-Amp Panel Upgrade Cost in NJ (2026) — Required for most modern Level 2 installs.