Dealerships that didn't provide paperwork for EV Tax Credit {Solution post #119}

[TaxmanHog]

Nearly a year in and I’m not giving up on this $7,500 credit. I intend to take the dealership to small claims court for their negligence and cost in time, stress, financial hardship, interest, etc. as a result of not complying with their legal obligation to submit form 15400 during the time of sale if all of my efforts fail. Sadly WA limits small claims to $5,000 maximum against businesses and not private entities, but at this point $5,000 is better than $0.

Wait for the IRS & TAS to get back to work, sending redundant mailings serves no good except to clog the already overburdened processing system with chaff.

Sadly, I think they will continue to deny the claim, your best bet is the small claims suit, having the initial and final denials in hand for court will help your case.

Good luck, the wheels of justice turn slowly.

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[Hammick]

This really sickens me that the IRS is making this so difficult. After Ford bought our Lightning back we decided to get the '26 GMC Sierra AT4 ER. The dealer would not give the tax credit at the time of sale but my salesman assured me that they would file the appropriate forms with the IRS and about a month later sent me an email that all the forms were complete. Turns out they did nothing.

I'm in talks with the GM and he has told me they never file anything with the IRS on behalf of purchasers for "liability reasons". It's Autonation so a huge dealership that sells tons of EVs in Denver. What I can't understand is why their phone isn't lightning up with tons of angry customers. I suspect it's rare for people to purchase EVs in Colorado with all the state incentives making leases very attractive.

Anyone know if the IRS is still waiving the 72 hour deadline? I'm not going to give up but it's looking like my only recourse will be small claims court. Thankfully the limit in Colorado is $7,500 (good Karma I hope) and the trials are by video conference.

I'm a retired trial attorney and I can't imagine how I can lose this case unless I get an EV hating judge.

What really pisses me off is that we would have bought the MAX range version but for the tax credit.

 

[flyct]

…………….
I'm a retired trial attorney and I can't imagine how I can lose this case unless I get an EV hating judge.

What really pisses me off is that we would have bought the MAX range version but for the tax credit.

What a mess. My friend bought a Cadillac Lyriq Ev last year. The dealer told him the same thing that they filed the paperwork. I asked him to insist they provide the IRS Form 15400 verifying the car was registered with IRS. Well they didn’t register it with the IRS. So they registered it 2 months later and gave him the form. He was successful in claiming it on his tax return.

Too late now but there is a loophole to get tax credit with an EV that exceeds the MSRP limit of $80k. At least I was able to get it with Ford.

The loophole trick is If you would have leased the manufacture can claim the tax credit and pass it on to the buyer. We leased a 2024 Platinum Lightning with an MSRP $89,635. They applied $7:500 tax credit plus incentives that reduced the price by $23,068 to $66,566. I was going to pay the lease off immediately but the money factor/interest rate was essentially Zero %. So I’ll wait until the lease is up and pay it off then or give it back at the end of the lease.

 

[Hammick]

What a mess. My friend bought a Cadillac Lyriq Ev last year. The dealer told him the same thing that they filed the paperwork. I asked him to insist they provide the IRS Form 15400 verifying the car was registered with IRS. Well they didn’t register it with the IRS. So they registered it 2 months later and gave him the form. He was successful in claiming it on his tax return.

Too late now but there is a loophole to get tax credit with an EV that exceeds the MSRP limit of $80k. At least I was able to get it with Ford.

The loophole trick is If you would have leased the manufacture can claim the tax credit and pass it on to the buyer. We leased a 2024 Platinum Lightning with an MSRP $89,635. They applied $7:500 tax credit plus incentives that reduced the price by $23,068 to $66,566. I was going to pay the lease off immediately but the money factor/interest rate was essentially Zero %. So I’ll wait until the lease is up and pay it off then or give it back at the end of the lease.

Thanks. We did that on our R1S last February and paid it off within 5 days of taking delivery. After leasing fees the credit saved us $6,800. The money factor on Rivians is ridiculous so the leases aren't attractive.

The leasing angle doesnt' work on the Sierra or Silverados as GM doesn't treat the credit as a capital reduction but just adds it to the residual. Does nothing if you buy it out immediately. Just lowers the lease payment if you plan to turn it in at the end.

 

[flyct]

Thanks. We did that on our R1S last February and paid it off within 5 days of taking delivery. After leasing fees the credit saved us $6,800. The money factor on Rivians is ridiculous so the leases aren't attractive.

The leasing angle doesnt' work on the Sierra or Silverados as GM doesn't treat the credit as a capital reduction but just adds it to the residual. Does nothing if you buy it out immediately. Just lowers the lease payment if you plan to turn it in at the end.

Got it. i didn't realize GM lease applied the tax credit to the residual and not as a cap cost reduction.

 

[Hammick]

Got it. i didn't realize GM lease applied the tax credit to the residual and not as a cap cost reduction.

GM is all over the place. On the Hummer EV it's applied as a cap cost reduction but not on the Sierra and Silverado EVs. Not sure about the Equinox, Blazer, Caddies, etc.

 

[Hammick]

Hey TaxmanHog:

My IRS.gov account is showing no records whatsoever for 2025. I'm wondering if it's possible my dealer timely filed the "time of sale" report and the IRS website just isn't updated. I'm not seeing a single 2025 document (no 1099s, nothing).

Has anyone that purchased an eligible EV in 2025 showing the clean vehicle listed in their IRS account?

Thanks for any help. I'm hellbent on getting my $7,500 one way or the other. In the process of drafting my letter to the general manager who has been giving me the runaround. Letter will put him on notice that I will be filing a lawsuit if they don't correct their mistake and report the sale through the portal. Then I can show the judge that they had a chance to fix their mistake but chose not to.

 

[TaxmanHog]

My IRS.gov account is showing no records whatsoever for 2025. I'm wondering if it's possible my dealer timely filed the "time of sale" report and the IRS website just isn't updated. I'm not seeing a single 2025 document (no 1099s, nothing).

All information returns (ie. w2, 1098, 1099, k1, etc...) would not be available until after the close of the tax period, depending on the class of information return the dues dates are variable through the spring.

Only the clean vehicle sales reports are posted in near real time, if you don't see it, then the selling dealership dropped the ball.

 

[Hammick]

All information returns (ie. w2, 1098, 1099, k1, etc...) would not be available until after the close of the tax period, depending on the class of information return the dues dates are variable through the spring.

Only the clean vehicle sales reports are posted in near real time, if you don't see it, then the selling dealership dropped the ball.

Thank you. It's not there so I will move forward with my demand letter. I've read this entire thread and been on the Reddits and haven't seen anyone stating their dealer was able to correct the problem after 9-30-25.

Anyone know for certain if the IRS portal is still accessible by registered dealers?

 

[flyct]

I bought 2 evs this year (Teslas). They show up under my account. Here is a screenshot on my iPhone.

 

[flyct]

Hey TaxmanHog:

My IRS.gov account is showing no records whatsoever for 2025. I'm wondering if it's possible my dealer timely filed the "time of sale" report and the IRS website just isn't updated. I'm not seeing a single 2025 document (no 1099s, nothing).

Has anyone that purchased an eligible EV in 2025 showing the clean vehicle listed in their IRS account?

Thanks for any help. I'm hellbent on getting my $7,500 one way or the other. In the process of drafting my letter to the general manager who has been giving me the runaround. Letter will put him on notice that I will be filing a lawsuit if they don't correct their mistake and report the sale through the portal. Then I can show the judge that they had a chance to fix their mistake but chose not to.

@Hammick

You posted screenshots of tax year 2024. Click the drop down and look at Tax Year 2025., not 2024

 

[Hammick]

@Hammick

You posted screenshots of tax year 2024. Click the drop down and look at Tax Year 2025., not 2024

I have no tab or tax info for 2025. Nowhere in my account is there a drop down for 2025.

 

[flyct]

I have no tab or tax info for 2025. Nowhere in my account is there a drop down for 2025.

I'm back home on a desktop now. I see what you mean that there is not a dropdown for 2025 on your page.

Here is what I see on mine. The Tesla Dealer input the sale on the portal and it populates on mine.

 

[flyct]

@Hammick

Ask the dealer for the form 15400 that they are required to give you. If they can't produce it then is is likely that they didn't register the deal on the IRS Portal.

 

[TaxmanHog]

@Hammick

You posted screenshots of tax year 2024. Click the drop down and look at Tax Year 2025., not 2024

I have no tab or tax info for 2025. Nowhere in my account is there a drop down for 2025.

The drop TAB for this is dynamic, if there is no report you won't see the sub group.

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