READY Accounts Act

What H.R. 440 does, in plain terms

READY Accounts Act This bill establishes a new Residential Emergency Asset-accumulation Deferred Taxation Yield (READY) account, allows individuals to make tax-deductible contributions of up to $4,500 per year to such accounts (adjusted annually for inflation), and allows individuals to take tax-free distributions from such accounts to pay for qualified home disaster mitigation and recovery expenses related to a principal residence owned by the taxpayer. Under the bill, qualified home disaster mitigation expenses include expenses certified by a qualified industry professional as meeting criteria to mitigate damage from a natural or other disaster, including installing a roofing underlayment to sheathing, impact-resistant windows, impact-resistant entry doors, or ground anchors; replacing a roof covering; applying a foam adhesive to reinforce the roof structure; strengthening the connection of the roof deck to roof framing, roof-to-wall connections, soffits, or attic ventilation openings; elevating a residence; or achieving the current building code standard. Qualified home disaster recovery expenses include costs for repairing damage to a residence resulting from fire, storm, or other casualty (provided such costs are not reimbursed). Distributions from a READY account used for anything other than qualified home disaster mitigation and recovery expenses must be included in gross income and are subject to a 20% penalty. (Some exceptions apply.) Finally, the bill imposes a 6% tax on contributions in excess of the annual limit. (Some exceptions apply.)

Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.