Corporate Tax Allowance for Energy Efficiency Projects (TAO)
Under current legislation, all companies are entitled to claim corporate tax allowance for investments aimed at improving energy efficiency. This incentive supports not only environmental sustainability goals but also reduces the implementation costs of such projects. The value of the tax benefit ranges between 30% and 65% of the eligible cost of the investment or renovation, depending on the size of the company (large, medium, or small enterprise) and the location of the project (within or outside Budapest).
Client Testimonials
How to Claim the Corporate Tax Allowance
To claim the tax allowance, companies must obtain an official certificate confirming that the investment qualifies as energy-efficient.
Over the past few years, Axing Zrt., as a registered auditing organisation under MEKH, has issued more than 3,000 audit reports and certificates confirming eligibility for the tax allowance. Thanks to our excellent professional relationship with the Energy Authority and relevant ministries, as well as our extensive expertise, we have successfully certified even the most complex projects.
The legislation entered into force on 25 November 2016, and the tax allowance can only be applied to investments ordered after this date.
From 1 December, an amendment (see: https://net.jogtar.hu/jogszabaly?docid=99600081.TV, 22/E. §) came into effect, clarifying the scope and eligibility of energy efficiency measures.
Extent of the Tax Allowance
According to the rules in force from 1 December:
the maximum allowable tax benefit per taxpayer, per investment or renovation — combined with all other state support related to the project — may not exceed:
- 30% of the eligible costs for projects located in Budapest
- 45% of the eligible costs (subject to a maximum of the HUF equivalent of EUR 15 million) for projects located in the regional areas of Northern Hungary, Northern Great Plain, Southern Great Plain, Southern Transdanubia, Central Transdanubia, Western Transdanubia, or Pest County
In addition, the allowance may be increased by 20 percentage points for small enterprises and by 10 percentage points for medium-sized enterprises.
Questions and Answers
Why Do Our Clients Choose Axing?
The team at Axing Zrt. brings exceptional expertise in the energy sector and reliably supports clients with a wide range of technical and regulatory challenges.
What Is the Legally Defined Process for Obtaining the Energy Efficiency Certificate?
- Preliminary Assessment
Before placing an order for the investment, an initial assessment must be conducted. Based on measured data — or, where necessary, on calculations or estimates derived from it — the assessment must determine the current energy consumption of the affected technical system and estimate the expected energy savings resulting from the planned investment. - Special Energy Audit
After the system has been commissioned, a dedicated energy audit must be completed and submitted to the taxpayer. The audit must evaluate the baseline energy conditions and report the energy savings achieved as a result of the investment, based on post-commissioning measurements or, where necessary, on calculations or estimates derived from specific data. - Data Submission to MEKH
Both the preliminary assessment and the post-investment audit must be submitted to the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (MEKH) via the official data reporting form. - Issuance of the Certificate
The certificate must comply with the format approved by MEKH and confirm that the investment contributes to energy efficiency. Its content should be consistent with the audit documentation and the submitted data.
Which Costs Are Eligible or Ineligible for the Corporate Tax Allowance?
Eligible Costs:
- The acquisition cost or increase in value of tangible or intangible assets that serve the purpose of an energy efficiency investment or renovation, exclusively aimed at achieving a higher level of energy efficiency, provided that, within the total investment or renovation cost, the energy-efficiency-related portion can clearly be identified and recorded as a distinct investment or renovation, or
- The portion of the acquisition cost or increase in value of tangible or intangible assets forming part of an investment or renovation that directly serves energy efficiency objectives, which represents an additional cost compared to a similar but less energy-efficient investment or renovation — provided that the taxpayer can credibly demonstrate that the less energy-efficient version would have been carried out in the absence of the corporate tax allowance and any other state aid related to the investment or renovation. This applies where the eligible cost cannot be determined using the method described in point (a).
The law includes specific provisions regarding eligible costs for buildings, as well as cases where no alternative investment exists in relation to the energy efficiency project.
Non-Deductible Costs Under the Tax Allowance Scheme:
- if the investment or renovation is carried out solely to comply with EU standards already adopted at the time the project begins, even if those standards have not yet entered into force.
- if the taxpayer fails to meet the conditions set out in the law and in the government decree regulating the implementation of the corporate tax allowance for energy efficiency investments.
- if the taxpayer is a company in financial distress, is subject to a final court order for liquidation or compulsory strike-off, or has filed for voluntary dissolution with the court.
- for investments or renovations related to the production, processing, or marketing of aquaculture products as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the common organisation of the market in fishery and aquaculture products, which repealed Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 and amended Regulations (EC) No 1184/2006 and No 1224/2009.
- if the taxpayer is subject to an outstanding recovery order issued as a result of a European Commission decision declaring a state aid measure unlawful and incompatible with the internal market.
An energy efficiency investment refers to any investment that results in a reduction in energy consumption, either in absolute terms or per unit of output.
Examples of energy efficiency investments include lighting modernisation, the installation of new (production) equipment, production lines, or robotic systems, as well as the replacement or expansion of fleets — such as transport vehicles, machinery, harvesting equipment, or company cars — as long as they lead to an increase in energy efficiency.
What Deadlines Must Be Taken Into Account?
To claim the tax allowance, the taxpayer must obtain a certificate confirming that the investment meets energy efficiency objectives by the time they submit their corporate tax return for the first tax year in which the allowance is to be applied.
The tax allowance may only be claimed if all assets related to the investment or renovation are put into use and operated in accordance with the applicable legal requirements for at least five years following commissioning.
The tax allowance can be applied over a period of six tax years, up to a maximum of 70% of the corporate tax payable in any given year. The taxpayer may choose to start this period either in the tax year when the investment is commissioned or in the following tax year.