Tax credit form - did dealer screw this up?

[Dinozero]

There is a lot of confusion over the 3 day rule. When I bought my truck they escalated me to someone at Ford HQ about it because I was so worried.

They insisted the 3 day thing is for the dealer to be able to be reimbursed for the tax credit.

There isn't 100% a way to know yet if when you file your taxes in 2025 if it's an issue that the form was mailed to me 5 days after the sale instead of 3.

So I just looked at the copy of my form.

It says "Date dealer provided report to buyer. "3-1"

It says date of sale "2-24"

There was a holiday weekend or something in there. I can't remember. But how does that all play out. Me and the dealer walked through all the scenarios. What if their website was down for a day and you couldn't log in?


Lastly, here's why I sleep like a baby at night over this...I have the document from the dealer, with the date the dealer provided it to me. If I can't collect my 7500 at tax time.. due to the dealer giving me the document LATE.. then the dealer would be responsible for that money, since I have proof its their fault I can't claim it. As well as text records and emails showing I tried to contact them before the 3 days was up.

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[TheBertShow]

There is a lot of confusion over the 3 day rule. When I bought my truck they escalated me to someone at Ford HQ about it because I was so worried.

They insisted the 3 day thing is for the dealer to be able to be reimbursed for the tax credit.

There isn't 100% a way to know yet if when you file your taxes in 2025 if it's an issue that the form was mailed to me 5 days after the sale instead of 3.

So I just looked at the copy of my form.

It says "Date dealer provided report to buyer. "3-1"

It says date of sale "2-24"

There was a holiday weekend or something in there. I can't remember. But how does that all play out. Me and the dealer walked through all the scenarios. What if their website was down for a day and you couldn't log in?


Lastly, here's why I sleep like a baby at night over this...I have the document from the dealer, with the date the dealer provided it to me. If I can't collect my 7500 at tax time.. due to the dealer giving me the document LATE.. then the dealer would be responsible for that money, since I have proof its their fault I can't claim it. As well as text records and emails showing I tried to contact them before the 3 days was up.

I’m not worried about the 3 day requirement they report it to me. I’m worried about the 3 day rule that they report it to the IRS. It says on all the IRS literature posted in here that one can’t claim the tax credit if it’s not reported to IRS within 3 days of sale.

Also…glad you think the world is such a trustworthy place but the last thing I’ll ever trust is a car dealership doing the right thing on their own without legal action and I’m trying to save the headache. $7,500 is a nice chunk of change for me but in the grand scheme of things it's not worth going through the motions of hiring an attorney who is going to take some of it. I’d rather walk away from the sale and go to a dealer who will do this the right way.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I’d rather walk away from the sale and go to a dealer who will do this the right way.

I think you're doing the correct action, IMHO a "LARGE" dealer group has sufficient accountant, tax compliance officers and lawyers in their own pocket, not being "ABLE" to provide the retail sales tax credit at point of sale is a huge red flag.

 

[TheBertShow]

I think you're doing the correct action, IMHO a "LARGE" dealer group has sufficient accountant, tax compliance officers and lawyers in their own pocket, not being "ABLE" to provide the retail sales tax credit at point of sale is a huge red flag.

Couldn’t agree more. I’ll keep y’all posted on what these folks do this morning. Unless they can get their shit together and add in the discount right here right now I’m walking away. Really disappointed as this ‘23 Lariat had every option I could’ve asked for!

 

[Dinozero]

Couldn’t agree more. I’ll keep y’all posted on what these folks do this morning. Unless they can get their shit together and add in the discount right here right now I’m walking away. Really disappointed as this ‘23 Lariat had every option I could’ve asked for!

I'm not saying you all are making bad points. 7500 is a lot of change.

But all I'm saying, if its exactly the truck your looking for, I think that IRS form is less of a cliff to fall off of than people realize. My dealer reported it to the IRS on 3-1 but sold me the truck on 2-24. The delay was because no one knew what they were doing and didn't have the log on to the IRS website anymore. It wasn't malicious. It was just ignorance.

That said, when you get the copy of this form, all it is is a document with your social, the VIN number, the amount of the credit, and the date of sale.

It's a very simple form that will just go into my tax file in January. If I get audited they're going to complain the form was submitted 2 days late? idk..


I get the anxiety, I was nervous for a few days over it. But I'm over it now. The IRS literally kept extending the tax credit deadline for the 2023 sales, like 3 different times. They're a little more lenient with this than people are nervous about I believe.

 

[Scorpio3d]

Always better to err on the side of caution especially when dealing with the government!! -IMHO
Best to have your ducks in a row!

 

[RocketGhost]

Also…glad you think the world is such a trustworthy place but the last thing I’ll ever trust is a car dealership doing the right thing on their own without legal action and I’m trying to save the headache. $7,500 is a nice chunk of change for me but in the grand scheme of things it's not worth going through the motions of hiring an attorney who is going to take some of it. I’d rather walk away from the sale and go to a dealer who will do this the right way.

I think you're doing the right thing. I don't think I mentioned it, but when I got my truck in May the dealer said they couldn't take the credit at point of sale because it's a '22 (yes it was an untitled new 22 that was their demo) and even though it's eligible for the credit, transferring the credit to the dealer is only available for '23+ model years. I haven't found anything to back this up, though. At any rate, while I was there they reported it, printed out the confirmation pages from the IRS portal site, and gave me Form 15400 before I left. So I'm 100% positive I will have no issues claiming the credit on my taxes in the spring.

I would not take any chances and expect the IRS to change their tune or expect the dealer to fulfill their duty after I walk out the door. As far as I'm concerned, once I leave they are done with me.

 

[rdr854]

I think you're doing the correct action, IMHO a "LARGE" dealer group has sufficient accountant, tax compliance officers and lawyers in their own pocket, not being "ABLE" to provide the retail sales tax credit at point of sale is a huge red flag.

Koons was one of the biggest family owned dealer groups in the US before it was bought out by Asbury Automotive last year for a reported $1.2 billion. Yes, that’s billion dollars!

 

[jamelski]

If you not doing point of sale tax credit you just file like anyone would have done in the past.

I’m more concerned for the people that don’t have 7500 tax liability that did POS when they file in 2025

 

[TheBertShow]

So I showed the dealer all rhe IRS literature-including the FAQ section. The finance folks were clueless (young finance manager has been the problem all along). This got routed to new car sales manager who acknowledged the form that was sent was wrong. He also said they’d had trouble uploading the documents to the IRS portal-which would make sense, and so they have been keeping a memo around showing the VIN number, date of sale etc for this issue per Ford’s instructions. He did acknowledge that this IRS publication I showed him was somewhat contrary to what Ford has been telling him. He said he’s now “waiting on a callback from Ford”.

We’ll see what happens. It seems like they definitely want to get this done, so if I can’t get the reassurance I need, maybe they’ll make up for it somehow. Who knows.

 

[TaxmanHog]

If you not doing point of sale tax credit you just file like anyone would have done in the past.

I’m more concerned for the people that don’t have 7500 tax liability that did POS when they file in 2025

I hope there are no rejects, but if it happens, who knows what is needed in the "explanation to substantiate the purchase"?

Maybe a long recanting of the dealership unwillingness to properly enroll in the system?

Rejection of enrollment (not that we would know this condition since it's a "private matter between the IRS and the Dealership, especially if they have severe noncompliance issues on other topics, unpaid taxes payroll accounts, etc)

 

[TaxmanHog]

We’ll see what happens. It seems like they definitely want to get this done, so if I can’t get the reassurance I need, maybe they’ll make up for it somehow. Who knows.

Stick to your gun's, I don't want to see folks taken for a ride and left losing out on the credit when it's appropriate for you to have it.

 

[jamelski]

I hope there are no rejects, but if it happens, who knows what is needed in the "explanation to substantiate the purchase"?

Maybe a long recanting of the dealership unwillingness to properly enroll in the system?

Rejection of enrollment (not that we would know this condition since it's a "private matter between the IRS and the Dealership, especially if they have severe noncompliance issues on other topics, unpaid taxes payroll accounts, etc)

I don’t think it will be an issue like people think, could it be yes of course.

The three day portal is for -point of sale and really for the dealer to get the 7500 credit asap vice you getting in at tax file time.

Right on the IRS website says if you didn’t get one or it’s after the five day just file the tax credit like every other year

I’m sure the rejects will be the people that claim a platinum , Rivian , Tesla that is well over 80k limit and irs 95% files that get approved from software vice a person will know they don’t qualify.

When I file and if it gets reject I’ll upload my paperwork that shows my truck msrp was under 80k and the second page in the fille will have a middle finger attached to it. Maybe I’ll get an irs agent to chuckle

 

[TaxmanHog]

I don’t think it will be an issue like people think, could it be yes of course.

The three day portal is for -point of sale and really for the dealer to get the 7500 credit asap vice you getting in at tax file time.

Right on the IRS website says if you didn’t get one or it’s after the five day just file the tax credit like every other year

I’m sure the rejects will be the people that claim a platinum , Rivian , Tesla that is well over 80k limit and irs 95% files that get approved from software vice a person will know they don’t qualify.

When I file and if it gets reject I’ll upload my paperwork that shows my truck msrp was under 80k and the second page in the fille will have a middle finger attached to it. Maybe I’ll get an irs agent to chuckle

I understand all that, but how the system is programmed and how humans react to it functioning correctly or not may create some angst next spring, not everyone deals with bureaucracy positively.

I'm interested in as much feedback from everyone filing for credit or validation of the POS claim next year when they file their returns.

 

[RocketGhost]

He also said they’d had trouble uploading the documents to the IRS portal-which would make sense, and so they have been keeping a memo around showing the VIN number, date of sale etc for this issue per Ford’s instructions.

I don't believe there are any documents to upload to report the sale. The portal has blanks where the dealer types in the information. But to set up access to the portal, a dealership employee has to set up an account using ID.me. They have to upload some identification to do that.

The three day portal is for -point of sale and really for the dealer to get the 7500 credit asap vice you getting in at tax file time.

Right on the IRS website says if you didn’t get one or it’s after the five day just file the tax credit like every other year

I’m sure the rejects will be the people that claim a platinum , Rivian , Tesla that is well over 80k limit and irs 95% files that get approved from software vice a person will know they don’t qualify.

According to the IRS the three day requirement is for both the dealer claiming the credit and the taxpayer claiming the credit at tax time. The guidance regarding what to do if the dealer didn't give you the confirmation report doesn't explicitly address the situation of when the dealer doesn't report at all. It's directed to the situation when the dealer reported but didn't give you the Form 15400 confirmation.

It looks like if you claim the credit on your taxes and the VIN doesn't match a reported sale then it will get rejected. I think it's an open question whether they will accept taxpayer-provided documents substantiating the purchase of an eligible vehicle. There is guidance that says no dealer reporting, no credit full stop. But that section you showed seems to suggest otherwise. We'll just have to wait and see.

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