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Developers in the renewable energy tax credit (RETC) sector are at a pivotal moment, with policy changes such as the July 4th start of construction deadline instituted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) rapidly approaching. In this episode of the Renewable Energy Tax Credit Finance Series, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Tony Grappone, CPA, discuss five key topics every renewable energy developer should know in order to attract investors in a post-OBBBA world. They discuss start of construction rules, common errors and oversights in developer financial models, the expectations gap between newer RETC developers and the reality of the investor market, the timing of investor capital contributions and co-mingled investment opportunities. This episode is the first part of a two-part series, with part two slated to come out in May.

Legislative changes and policy updates have continued to shape the tax credit world over the course of the first quarter of 2026. On the inaugural episode of Tax Credit Tuesday's new Washington Watch series, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac Chief Public Policy Officer Peter Lawrence discuss the latest policy updates in the tax credit world from Capitol Hill. The two discuss recent developments regarding the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), the opportunity zones (OZ) incentive, as well as the proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Novogradac and Lawrence also discuss a variety of resources Novogradac provides to help navigate these developments, including the Novogradac news pages and the various Novogradac working groups.

When the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund announced the $10 billion calendar year 2024-2025 new markets tax credit (NMTC) awards, it also announced four areas of emphasis for NMTC awards going forward. In this week's episode of Tax Credit Tuesday, Michael Novogradac, CPA, discusses those areas with Novogradac partner Gregory Clements, CPA. They look at affordable housing development, small business growth and expansion, domestic manufacturing and reliable job-producing projects, and rural hospitals and essential community health care. They also look at the new anti-discrimination provisions of the NMTC allocation agreement.

The renewable energy tax credit (RETC) market is emerging from "wait and see" mode following major policy updates in 2025, including the approval of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on July 4, 2025. In this episode of the Renewable Energy Tax Credit Finance Series, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Tony Grappone, CPA, take a forward-looking view of the RETC marketplace as the first quarter of 2026 comes to a close. Novogradac and Grappone discuss the current state of the developer's side of the market, highlighting increased demand for energy across the board fueled by data centers and artificial intelligence (AI). The pair also discuss the recent changes in restrictions regarding foreign entities of concern (FEOC) implemented by the OBBBA. Finally, Novogradac and Grappone turn to the investor's side of the market and discuss the state of transfer buyers, traditional tax equity investors and cash equity investors.

Affordable housing has become a significant focus of President Donald Trump, his administration and the current Congress. Efforts to tackle the affordability crisis and improve housing accessibility for all Americans have ramped up since the beginning of 2026. On this episode of Tax Credit Tuesday, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac Chief Public Policy Officer Peter Lawrence discuss various recent developments in housing policy. The two first review three recent executive orders from Trump and how they might affect the development and preservation of affordable housing, as well as their potential impact on several tax credits. Novogradac and Lawrence also discuss the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill designed to address the housing shortage in America by expanding federal housing programs and streamlining housing development. The bill was recently passed by the Senate.

First-year qualifying occupancy reports are essential for compliance with the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), but the processes can be challenging. On this episode of Tax Credit Tuesday, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac Director of Multifamily Property Compliance Stephanie Naquin review the most common compliance mistakes LIHTC properties make regarding first-year qualifying occupancy reports, and how to avoid them. The pair discuss four categories of common errors: misunderstanding state requirements, tenant income calculation, implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) and using the wrong forms or completing them incorrectly. The categories come from a survey conducted recently by Naquin and her team, which was covered in the March issue of the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits magazine.

When it comes to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) allocation and underwriting, it's critical to have a thorough understanding of the basics. With the Spring 2026 Novogradac LIHTC Allocation and Underwriting Basics Course on the horizon (every Thursday from March 26 to April 30), Michael Novogradac, CPA, and course instructor'Mark Shelburne dive into LIHTC basics. Novogradac and Shelburne discuss the course and the topics it will cover, including eligible basis and boost, applicable fraction and tax credit rate, equity investment and qualified allocation plans on a week-by week basis. The pair also shout out the various instructors that will lead the training alongside Shelburne. The episode concludes with a discussion of Novogradac LIHTC services and the upcoming Novogradac 2026 Affordable Housing Conference, May 7-8 in San Deigo.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), approved July 4, 2025, implemented a number of restrictions regarding foreign entities of concern (FEOC). In this episode of the Renewable Energy Tax Credit Finance Series, Novogradac partners Tony Grappone, CPA, and Joshua Morris, CPA, discuss those changes and their implications for various stakeholders in the clean energy space. They discuss the similarities and differences of the new FEOC restrictions to domestic content. Grappone and Morris then give a detailed review of the restrictions and the issues surrounding them, such as safe harbor provisions. The episode concludes with a series of rapid-fire questions developers, manufacturers and investors in the clean energy sector may have.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), approved July 4, 2025, made the opportunity zone (OZ) incentive permanent and made several significant changes to the program. One key change is that, effective Jan. 1, 2027, each state will designate new OZs. On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Jason Watkins, CPA, discuss these changes and how they will impact tax incentives and eligibility criteria for qualified OZ investors. Novogradac and Watkins explain where the program stands and discuss a variety of issues that require guidance or clarification from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including the designation of new census tracts. The pair also discuss how Treasury will implement the transition from OZ 1.0 to OZ 2.0. Finally, Novogradac and Watkins discuss the various efforts of the Novogradac OZ Working Group to highlight potential issues and offer recommendations for implementation guidance in the form of three letters to Treasury.

The Historic Tax Credit (HTC) is a significant resource for developers hoping to rehabilitate historic properties, but nuances of the incentive, such as eligibility requirements and the closing process, can be intimidating for first-time developers. On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner John DeJovine, CPA, provide listeners a crash course in HTCs. The pair discuss gating issues developers may encounter in deciding whether to use HTCs. Novogradac and DeJovine also discuss various factors to consider throughout an HTC transaction, including how much equity might come from federal HTCs, subordination and non-disturbance agreements (SNDAs) and what counts as qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QREs). Fittingly, the two close the episode by reviewing the process of closing an HTC deal, from deal structuring to the developer's eventual exit.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), approved July 4, 2025, made various significant changes to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) incentive. Among key changes, the OBBBA lowered the threshold for private activity bond (PAB) financing required to qualify for 4% LIHTCs from 50% of a development's land and building costs to 25%. On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Dirk Wallace, CPA, explore how this change is affecting financing for affordable housing development. Novogradac and Wallace provide an overview of the 25% test and PABs, including recycled PABs. The pair also discuss how states are implementing the 25% financed-by test, as well as the ways developers are overcoming the financing gap the new test created. Finally, Novogradac and Wallace conclude by discussing how to maximize net operating income (NOI) by approaching operating expenses as efficiently as possible.

Rental income and operating expenses for low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) properties have seen significant increases over recent years. On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Kelly Gorman review the 2025 Novogradac Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Income and Operating Expenses Report, which provides an in-depth look at 2024 rental income, operating expenses and net operating income for LIHTC properties tracked by Novogradac. Novogradac and Gorman provide their perspective on the relationship between rental income and operating expenses, as well as annual and compound annual growth rates. The two then discuss the two largest operating income expenses, which were property insurance and repairs and maintenance, and how to handle those expenses in the underwriting and budgeting process.

Several major legislative changes rocked the tax credit world, last year. Key developments such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will shape the tax credit landscape in 2026 and beyond. On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac's Chief Public Policy Officer Peter Lawrence explore the current state of tax credit legislation and what may be on the horizon for 2026. Novogradac and Lawrence discuss various tax incentives, including the historic tax credit, the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act and the HOPE Act. The pair also discuss two "bonus" tax incentives that potentially may be on the horizon, the workforce housing tax credit and the Downtown Revitalization and Main Streets Act. Finally, the two discuss banking-related bills such as the ROAD to Housing Bill and the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which may grant banks the ability to invest more in new construction and preservation developments.

The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund announced the awarding of $10 billion in new markets tax credit (NMTC) allocation authority Dec. 23, 2025, 'for the combined 2024-2025 allocation round, a record-breaking amount of aggregate issuance authority that led to a record-breaking number of awardees. On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partners Brad Elphick, CPA, and Rebecca Darling, CPA, discuss the key aspects of this round that made it significant and theorize what changes might come to NMTC allocation in the future. The three also discuss the reasons why the CDFI Fund's announcement was delayed, and how that might impact the timeline of the 2026 application round.

Public housing authorities (PHAs) are increasingly finding that common funding opportunities such as U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) financing is not meeting their operational or capital needs. With recent policy changes on the horizon that will further drain PHA resources, many are turning to programs such as Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD). On this episode of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Rich Larsen, CPA, give a crash course on the RAD program and discuss how PHAs can utilize RAD to support their public housing developments. The pair also discuss how to most effectively utilize tax credit equity, such as low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) equity, in RAD transactions.

Developers of affordable rental housing using low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) want to know what they can include in eligible basis calculations. In the latest installment in the "So You Want to Be a LIHTC Developer" series of the Tax Credit Tuesday podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Christina Apostolidis, CPA, discuss three issues around eligible basis. First, they discuss the treatment of community service areas in the calculation for eligible basis. Next, Novogradac and Apostolidis cover enhancements made that are not physically part of the main development site, better known as off-site improvements. Finally, the pair discuss the issues around impact fees.'

The new markets tax credit (NMTC) incentive commonly is used to subsidize community development projects such as small businesses, day care centers, schools and public transportation, but the credit can also serve as a way to incentivize the development of for-sale housing in distressed neighborhoods. In this episode of Tax Credit Tuesday, Michael Novogradac, CPA, and Novogradac partner Nicolo Pinoli, CPA, discuss how developers and investors can best leverage NMTCs to support initiatives aimed at increasing homeownership among low-income households. Novogradac and Pinoli review what community development entities, investors and the various qualified businesses that are eligible to receive the NMTC subsidy should know about the requirements and process.

The complicated world of renewable energy tax credits (RETCs) can be challenging for even experienced investors to navigate. In this episode of the Renewable Energy Tax Credit Finance Series, Novogradac partners Tony Grappone, CPA, and Tom Boman, CPA, discuss the issues individuals and closely held corporations should be aware of when considering investing in RETC partnerships or buying transferable tax credits. Grappone and Boman discuss at-risk and passive activity rules and how they relate to renewable energy developments. The pair then dive into several hypothetical scenarios for each rule to help listeners better understand how the rules affect investors.

While changes to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) will help address America's affordable housing shortage, there remains a significant gap to help renovate and preserve affordable rental housing'a gap that could be addressed by a proposed tax incentive that would allow nonprofit developers and property managers to raise capital from individual investors to finance those improvements. In this week's podcast, Michael Novogradac, CPA, Novogradac partner Kevin Wilson, CPA, and Peter Lawrence, Novogradac's chief public policy officer, discuss the proposal, including why there's a need, how it would work, where it is in the legislative process and how a new Novogradac working group is addressing the issue.

The Opportunity Zones (OZ) incentive has seen a number of exciting developments in 2025, in large part due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which made the incentive permanent when the legislation was signed into law July 4. In this episode of Tax Credit Tuesday, Michael Novogradac, CPA, sits down with Novogradac partner Jason Watkins, CPA, to discuss the latest policy updates in the OZ incentive and the transition from OZ 1.0 tracts to OZ 2.0 tracts. Novogradac and Watkins discuss issues the Novogradac OZ Working Group has identified as requiring guidance from the Treasury, including dual OZ designations for 2027 and 2028, legacy business eligibility, and compliance with qualified OZ business (QOZB) tests. Finally, the pair discuss the process for designating the next round of OZs, as well as when and how best to begin preparing.