Dealership Claimed EV Tax Credit without Permission

[StevenC56]

Paperwork filled out using DocuSign on 9/30/24 as my selling dealer is out of town. Drove there and picked up my truck 10/1. $7500 Federal tax credit listed as "down payment" on my sales contract. Received IRS letter on 1/18/2025, and it has the correct VIN listed on it.

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[broteus7]

Follow the instructions AFTER you've confirmed with the dealer that the other $7500 figure was a Ford incentive and not the federal tax credit transfer. Ask them for a copy of any disclosures or intake consent waivers you might have forgotten you signed regarding the tax credit election.

They won't call me back.

 

[broteus7]

Paperwork filled out using DocuSign on 9/30/24 as my selling dealer is out of town. Drove there and picked up my truck 10/1. $7500 Federal tax credit listed as "down payment" on my sales contract. Received IRS letter on 1/18/2025, and it has the correct VIN listed on it.

Did it list EV credit as the source of down payment or manufacturer's rebate?

 

[broteus7]

My guess is they finally figured out the IRS system portal thingy and back-entered your sale with your name, address, SSN, and mis-typed the VIN.

This is my assumption.

 

[broteus7]

Did you buy yours around the first half of January 2024? A lot of us who did, dealt with mass confusion about the credit.

Bought at the end of March when Ford was running those discounts.

 

[Dino]

Bought at the end of March when Ford was running those discounts.

Wow, so at the end of March they did not know how to handle tax credit. This is going to be a nightmare for the IRS, maybe this explains why they are sending out the letters. Ford buyers are not the only ones who qualified for the credit.

 

[StevenC56]

Did it list EV credit as the source of down payment or manufacturer's rebate?

6. Total Downpayment:
E. Manufacturer's Rebate $2,000
I. Cash, Cash Equivalent, Check, Credit Card, or Debit Card $7500
Total Downpayment (C through I) $9500

The line "I" entry was the Federal Tax Credit

 

[TaxmanHog]

They won't call me back.

Is it convenient to visit in person and confront them with a copy of the letter showing erroneous VIN?

If you get nowhere with them, follow the instruction at the bottom of the letter.

 

[spacepirate]

I got one of those letters and I may have a similar issue with my Flash purchase last September.

They were throwing around a "rebate" of $7500 and I specifically asked them to verify that it was a Ford number and not the IRS number. When I did the paperwork I had to accept a set of Ford rebates but I don't have a record of which rebates they were. The IRS credit was not discussed while doing the paperwork. I was happy with the price I got (a "good" but not "great" bottom line) and on the final agreement there is a single $7500 line item for rebates.

I've emailed my dealer asking them to clarify what actually happened. If they don't respond in a day or two I'll just show up in person to try to get answers.

This sort of BS is precisely why I HATE buying cars.

I'll stay tuned here too.

 

[broteus7]

Odd update: Dealership says they don't deal with the Vehicle Tax Credits and are not set up for it at all to do it at time of sale.

 

[Dino]

I got one of those letters and I may have a similar issue with my Flash purchase last September.

They were throwing around a "rebate" of $7500 and I specifically asked them to verify that it was a Ford number and not the IRS number. When I did the paperwork I had to accept a set of Ford rebates but I don't have a record of which rebates they were. The IRS credit was not discussed while doing the paperwork. I was happy with the price I got (a "good" but not "great" bottom line) and on the final agreement there is a single $7500 line item for rebates.

I've emailed my dealer asking them to clarify what actually happened. If they don't respond in a day or two I'll just show up in person to try to get answers.

This sort of BS is precisely why I HATE buying cars.

I'll stay tuned here too.

I wonder how many dealers signed digitally for buyers/lessee's without their permission? Anybody who gets these letters check everything. I have not received mine and doubt I will which will present a different problem.

 

[broteus7]

I wonder how many dealers signed digitally for buyers/lessee's without their permission? Anybody who gets these letters check everything. I have not received mine and doubt I will which will present a different problem.

Dealership says they're not set up for it at all. VIN also doesn't match.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Odd update: Dealership says they don't deal with the Vehicle Tax Credits and are not set up for it at all to do it at time of sale.

YOU my friend will be one of the first test cases ....... try filing your tax return with 8936, indicate your VIN, purchase date and other factors.

I fear your return may rejected during initial processing, but if it does not reject and the IRS gives you the credit, hold all your paperwork for 3 years, they might pay you on presumption of a qualified purchase and go after the dealer for negligence of procedures.

BTW, if it rejects, delete the 8936 form submit return sans credit and file a lawsuit against the dealership.

 

[GDN]

The only thing that shows $7500 is that it lists a manufacturers rebate for 7500 under the down payment.

Its going to be interesting for sure - $7500 sure matches an interesting number we all know, but if they show Manufactures rebate - that is not the same think as Fed Tax Rebate.

Sorry for everyone that is going through this, but the govt just left us exposed to more BS from dealers.

I know many that many prefer and want the money up front as part of the deal to save that money, but it just leaves us open to dealers that truly had little to no instruction on what to do or shady dealers that know and try to rip it back out from under you.

I'll take the option all day long to file it and claim it on my own taxes after the sale.

 

[TaxmanHog]

If you're not following this thread, take look at it from this post forward
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...rred-tax-credit-letter-2025.24176/post-467605

Members have been able to confirm that the sales report was made, and in one example the credit was transferred to the dealer and in the other the report was made and credit NOT transferred to the dealer.

You can register of access to your IRS ONLINE account to do a pre-filing compliance check about the status 2024 or currently 2025 Clean vehicle Credit claims & transfers !

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