Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC)

The first credit rule
with no cure.

Most developers assume their safe harbor covers FEOC. It covers one of three tests, and the exposure runs a full ten years. A single gap disqualifies the entire credit, with no shortfall payment to buy it back.

The three FEOC tests

FEOC comes down to three separate tests

All three must be met and documented. Clearing one does nothing for the other two.

The issue

Safe harbor does not fully protect you

Each FEOC test has to be both met and documented. A safe harbor covers only one of those six.

What many developers assume

Meet the test
Document it
Material Assistance
Covered
Covered
Ownership
Covered
Covered
Effective Control
Covered
Covered
Tap to compare the assumption with reality.
The stakes

What a FEOC failure costs

A FEOC failure can disqualify the credit, stall financing or trigger recapture. The cost depends on where it happens.

Test

Full disqualification

Miss a FEOC test and the entire credit is disqualified. There is no reduction and no penalty to pay it down. The full value is lost.

Documentation

Financing delays

Doing the work is not enough. Tax equity and construction debt will not close without documentation of ownership, sourcing and contractual control.

Operations

Recapture exposure

Compliance does not end at filing. A prohibited payment or a project change in the recapture period can claw back credits already claimed.

The offering

NexusIQ™ runs all three FEOC tests

One workflow that monitors the full recapture window and builds audit-ready documentation as it goes, so a project's exposure is clear and provable.

FEOC complianceAll three tests carry equal weight

Fail any one and the credit is gone. NexusIQ covers ownership and effective control from day one, and the material assistance cost ratio when it attaches.

01
Ownership
Traced to ultimate holders

Equity, debt and voting structures screened and monitored through recapture.

02
Effective Control
Defensible for counsel

Contractual, licensing and IP control risks flagged, with a report ready for tax opinions.

03
Material Assistance
Holds up in diligence

The Material Assistance Cost Ratio (MACR) calculated from the bill of materials.

See what applies to your project

Enter your construction date and we'll show the clean energy tax credit requirements that attach, including which FEOC tests are in play.

Open the FEOC calculator →
Let's talk

Talk to the Empact team

Questions on FEOC, or want a readiness review across your portfolio? Empact turns what applies into an audit-ready record your tax equity and lenders can stand behind.

Informational only and not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your tax counsel.