Government Incentives And Tax Credits For Biodiesel Production & Sale

Biodiesel production, distribution, and use, as withproduction company sells the biodiesel retail which
many emerging alternative energies, has beenis then used in the fuel tank of the buyer.
aided in large part by recent governmentThe tax credits on Straight Biodiesel are equal to
incentives making biodiesel fuel production and$1 per gallon of agri-biodiesel and $0.50 per gallon
distribution more attractive. These tax incentivesof waste grease biodiesel. The tax credits on
put money back in the pockets of biodieselBiodiesel Mixtures are $0.01 (a penny) per
producers who, presumably, pass the benefits onpercentage point of agri-biodiesel and $0.005
to you, the consumer, with lower biodiesel prices.(half-a-cent) per percentage point of waste
Not just any biodiesel is eligible for tax incentives.grease biodiesel.
The definition of biodiesel fuel, as it's used for taxThat is, unless the amount of credit approved to
purposes, is "monoalkyl esters of long chain fattytaxpaying biodiesel companies applying for the
acids". Biodiesel production companies seeking anycredit in a given year exceeds the annual cap of
of these credits must ensure that they are$1.5 million, in which case the Department of
making biodiesel fuel that meets theRevenue will prorate credits to biodiesel production
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)companies accordingly.
requirements for registration of fuels and fuelThese tax credits, however, are currently
additives as described in the Clean Air Act, as welltemporary, and set to expire in 2008 - an added
as requirements put forth by the Americanincentive to get started now on that biodiesel
Society of Testing and Materials.production company of your own that you've
All companies, whether a biodiesel productionbeen dreaming about. There's literally no time to
company or not, that are selling or using biodieselwaste.
may qualify for the Biodiesel and Ethanol (VEETC)Another Federal Tax Credit, the Small
Tax Credit, on their income taxes. There are twoAgri-Biodiesel Producer Credit (Section 1345:
such types of credit.Energy Policy Act of 2005), grants $0.10 per
- the Straight Biodiesel Credit (considered agallon on up to 15 million gallons to small
"general business credit" by the IRS) - theagri-biodiesel production facilities producing less
biodiesel in question must not have been mixedthan 60 million gallons per year.
with any petroleum-based diesel fuel, and theIncidentally, there are local and state tax credits all
company itself must be the biodiesel productionover the country available on biodiesel cost and
company making it;costs on other alternative fuels. Visit: to find out
- the Biodiesel Mixture Credit - the biodiesel inwhat your locality offers.
question must contain only biodiesel fuel andAccording to recent U.S. Department of
petroleum-based diesel, with absolutely noAgriculture (USDA) study, demand for biodiesel
kerosene added, and the company itself must beproduction is set to increase by at least 124 million
the biodiesel production company making it.gallons per year, however fears about the rapidly
Additionally, for either tax credit on biodiesel cost,rising prices of crude oil suggest that facilities
one of the following criteria must also bemight be making biodiesel fuel in even larger
met;othe biodiesel production company actuallyamounts and at an even faster rate.
uses the biodiesel itself as a fuel;othe biodiesel