Farm4Profit Podcast

Former IRS and 20+ Year Renewable Fuels Expert talks 45Z

Episode Summary

In this What’s Working in Ag segment, Tanner and Corey sit down with Taylor Cortright, Managing Director of Tax at KPMG and former IRS counsel, to break down what 45Z actually is and what it means moving forward.

Episode Notes

Here’s the reality: this is not a direct payment to farmers. It’s a producer tax credit for biofuel companies—but the potential impact on grain demand, carbon scoring, and farming practices could be significant.

In this conversation, we cover:

• What 45Z actually is and how it works
• Why it was created and how it differs from past biofuel credits
• The role of carbon intensity (CI) scores
• Why rules are still not finalized—and what that means
• The GREET model and how emissions are calculated
• How farmers could eventually be involved through traceability and climate-smart practices
• What we know about timelines and the extension through 2029
• And what (if anything) farmers should be doing right now

This is one of the clearest explanations yet of a complicated program—and a must-listen if you’re trying to understand where this is headed.