# The SAFES Act: A Tax Credit for Gun Safes

This bill creates a tax credit that gives people money back on their taxes when they buy gun safes. Specifically, if you purchase a gun safe, lock box, or similar device designed to prevent unauthorized access to firearms, you can claim a credit equal to 90 percent of what you spent on it. For single filers, the maximum credit is $500 per year, and for couples filing jointly, it's $1,000 per year. However, there's a catch: you can only claim this credit up to a total of $500 ($1,000 for joint filers) over any six-year period, meaning you can't just buy multiple safes and get credits for all of them indefinitely.

The credit applies to any device that's locked with a combination lock, key lock, or biometric system (like a fingerprint scanner) and is designed to keep firearms secure. It covers traditional gun safes, gun cases, lock boxes, and similar storage devices. The one requirement is that you have to be the first owner—you can't buy a used safe and claim the credit. Starting in 2030, the rules get stricter: only safes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines are "highly effective" at preventing unauthorized access will qualify for the credit.

The bill is designed to encourage gun owners to store their firearms securely, potentially reducing accidental access by children or theft. It takes effect for taxes filed in 2025 (for the 2024 tax year). Importantly, the government cannot require you to disclose information about what firearms you own in order to claim this credit—it's purely about the safe itself, not about tracking gun ownership.

SAFES Act

Williams, Nikema

Storing All Firearms Effectively and Safely Act or the SAFES ActThis bill allows individual taxpayers a refundable income tax credit for the cost of certain gun safes (devices for denying unauthorized access to a firearm or ammunition). The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to report on the types of gun safes that are highly effective in preventing unauthorized access to guns.&nbsp;