Dealerships that didn't provide paperwork for EV Tax Credit

[chl]

This is what I posted in May last year.

"I purchased my new 2023 Lightning XLT on Jan. 4, 2024. I talked to several dealers in the Nashville area about the new tax rebate rules but none of them knew anything about it. Finally one dealer said they could give me the $7,500 rebate credit so I bought my 60k truck from them. I have asked them several times for the IRS form to no avail. They did give me a $7,500 so called rebate but I am sure it was just a price reduction to get the truck off their lot. I am able to buy Ford vehicles utilizing Ford Z Plan (below dealer cost) and used it to purchase this truck.
I just wonder how many 2024 purchase date Lightning/Mach E buyers actually have received the correct IRS paperwork?
Myself and my Lightning fully qualify for the tax rebate."

Now, the IRS has my VIN and I am supposedly eligible to take the $7,500 tax credit when I file my taxes.
The only way the IRS got my vehicle info was that the dealer entered it after the fact and without me actually digitally signing it and did it wrong in my favor .

Similar thing happened to me - no copy of form received when purchased Jan 4, 2024, but IRS has the VIN and sales info, and says that I transferred it (to the dealership presumably).
So the dealership filed the info on time, just didn't give me a form to prove it if necessary.
Still trying to get them to send me one...

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[Kansan]

If you bought your vehicle in 2024 and the dealer did their part properly, you would have received a letter from the IRS listing the VIN and date of sale along with instructions on how to file.

If you didn’t get this IRS letter in early January the dealer probably screwed up and you’re most likely SOL for that money. I don’t see the current administration going out of their way to help out on EV issues so an appeal is unlikely to help.

I just checked my IRS account and I have a letter dated today 2/10/25 regarding the clean vehicle purchase (I haven't received the letter in the mail yet). The dealer reported the sale on 12/27/2024. So, the IRS is still working on sending letters.

 

[Joe.....Montana]

I think the dealership is supposed to get your income info, usually they do when they run a credit check - and lying about it on a credit application is a big no-no that could result in being prosecuted for fraud.

Also, you can use either the income for the year you purchase the truck, or the year before for the tax credit qualification.

No, it is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure they qualify for the tax credit...per IRS site explaining the tax credit.

 

[TaxmanHog]

From what I've seen in the training materials, the account manager at the dealership has the ability to access the system to view the "status" of each submission, from there they can view the rejection or acceptance status and view/print the 15400 reports, this information is at the tip of their fingers, but ignorance & laziness are the root problem.

I'm certain Ford doesn't have a monopoly on this weakness.

 

[chl]

No, it is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure they qualify for the tax credit...per IRS site explaining the tax credit.

I meant just 'get' the information, not ensure it qualifies, clearly the tax payer has to do that via the IRS's wonderful instructions on their easy-to-read and understand tax form instructions...

I vaguely remember something about putting it on a form required for the tax credit, but maybe that was when I bought my Leaf back in 2011? Time is a persistent illusion (Einstein).

 

[P-38]

My return got rejected last night, 20 minutes after submitted... Dealership is researching and supposed to get back with me Monday

 

[chl]

My return got rejected last night, 20 minutes after submitted... Dealership is researching and supposed to get back with me Monday

Did you check your IRS files on-line (per previous posts) to see if the correct info is in your files (VIN, date of purchase etc)?

I checked mine to be sure - all good even though the dealership STILL hasn't provided me the time of sale report.

The hard part doing that was getting verified by the contractor they use to verify your info. The video chat link/connection didn't work - maybe a firewall blocked it? - so they switched to a zoom meeting on my wife's iPhone which went fine - kind of tricky getting your face lined up the way they want it to verify it matches your photo ID, etc.

Once verified getting to the IRS files was simple enough.

 

[P-38]

Getting into the IRS was pretty easy. Sadly there is no record of a clean vehicle purchase for me for 2024. I had no options on the Lariat so was all good price wise.

Will see what Monday brings.

 

[oby3000]

So I think this may have just happened to me as my vin keeps being rejected as not matching anything in the clean vehicle register. I specifically asked the dealership if it would qualify before buying. The sales manager said “hold on let me double check but I believe it does” he then spent a significant amount of time in his office “double checking the requirements” he even came out once to apologize that it was takeing so long because “ the qualifications are always changing” I patiently waited and the. He assured me that all I needed to do was fill out the proper tax form come tax time. I assumed it took so long because he was registering the vehicle. Now when I call the dealership to get an answer to why my vin keeps getting rejected by the IRS they keep telling me they will look into it and call me back…they never call back.

So what I am wondering is if the dealership assured that it would qualify for the tax credit and then they fail to register it afterwards can we sue them for our loss under false advertising, negligence or failure to file paperwork?

 

[P-38]

Now that it's Thursday ...my dealership is waiting to hear back from the IRS...the salesperson says the dealership group CFO is working on it.

Not holding my breath...but hoping the dealership steps up.

Some on reddit say if the dealership lists the in-service date as 2024 then it should work ..but I have not seen any say 100% it does

 

[TaxmanHog]

So I think this may have just happened to me as my vin keeps being rejected as not matching anything in the clean vehicle register. I specifically asked the dealership if it would qualify before buying. The sales manager said “hold on let me double check but I believe it does” he then spent a significant amount of time in his office “double checking the requirements” he even came out once to apologize that it was takeing so long because “ the qualifications are always changing” I patiently waited and the. He assured me that all I needed to do was fill out the proper tax form come tax time. I assumed it took so long because he was registering the vehicle. Now when I call the dealership to get an answer to why my vin keeps getting rejected by the IRS they keep telling me they will look into it and call me back…they never call back.

So what I am wondering is if the dealership assured that it would qualify for the tax credit and then they fail to register it afterwards can we sue them for our loss under false advertising, negligence or failure to file paperwork?

Was the price of your truck over 80k as listed on the window sticker (line total BEFORE the transport fee)?

 

[mrau]

So what I am wondering is if the dealership assured that it would qualify for the tax credit and then they fail to register it afterwards can we sue them for our loss under false advertising, negligence or failure to file paperwork?

You can try to sue.
However the dealer is not required to report EV sale to IRS. See Post #23.

I did read elsewhere other folks in this situation have been filing paper returns with extra documentation about the vehicle purchase. Since your return won’t be accepted electronically without a VIN on record at IRS, this may be the only way to go. If IRS needs more information after they get your return in the mail, they will let you know.

 

[StaffanM]

Dealership Failed to Submit Form 15400 to IRS at Time of Purchase (or within 3 days)


Fair warning folks since it’s tax filing season, when I purchased my F150 Lightning in October of ‘24 this was the first new EV I purchased that would qualify for the EV tax incentive/credit. All of my forms finally became available to me to complete filing my taxes yesterday so I got around to submitting my tax return with the $7,500 tax credit included and the IRS rejected the filing almost immediately with the error codes
SA-F8936-048 - The e-File database indicates this vehicle was not purchased during the tax period of the return.
SA-F8936-047 - Schedule A (Form 8936) credit amount does not match the type of credit reported in e-File database.
Upon further investigating and a few calls to the dealership. The dealership never submitted the correct form to the IRS with the buyer (my) information, so the IRS has zero records indicating that I purchased an electric vehicle.
Come to find out this needed to be done either at the time of sale or within 3 days of the sale. (Had absolutely no idea this form was a requirement in order to be eligible for the tax credit during filing) well now the issue is the dealership I bought my truck from was bought out and is a different Ford Dealership now. Long story short, my $7,500 tax credit was officially burned as a result of this. I’ve read somewhere that if a dealership neglected to file the paperwork you can file your taxes as you normally would (which the IRS then adjusts it themselves) and I’ll wind up owing money for 2024 rather than having a return and you can file an appeal and submit the sale contract as proof of purchase during the amend process (which can take 6 months to a year)
Has anybody else been in a similar position? If so, what did you do or what are your recommendations? I have yet to submit my tax filing for the second time in case there is a way to submit proof of purchase and avoid having to go through the amend or appeal process with the IRS which is a huge headache all for something that should have been the dealerships responsibility and was neglected.

 

[RickLightning]

Several threads discuss this, yes.

 

[aldera]

I purchased by 2024 Lightning Lariat in November, 2024. The dealership never submitted any paperwork. I saw the requirement when I started doing my taxes in mid January. I called the dealership and they submitted the paperwork in late January and sent me the form. I filed my tax return the 1st week of February and got my IRS refund about a week later. They allowed the $7500 credit I submitted.

Not sure why mine went through with the late filing by the dealership.

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