Finance Tax Time

Buy a home, car, helicopter, NFL team or whatever for one measly dollar. Ah, we must be talking about IRS property auction hype.

The Basics of IRS Property Auctions

You may have seen commercials or advertisements on the web about the steals you can get at IRS property auctions. Whether you can actually get such deals is questionable, but there is no doubt the IRS does hold auctions. The purpose of the auctions is to sell off property of a taxpayer that owes the IRS money. Here are the basics of the auction process.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about IRS auctions is there is no set procedure. With some auctions, you must appear in person to bid. With others, you can mail in a bid. Still others require you to submit a sealed bid. So, how do you know which is which? You need to get a copy of the official notice of the auction. It lays out all the specifics and is binding on the property sale.

The second basic thing to know about IRS property auctions is the payment method. Ironically, the IRS is really into cash. If you intend to bid on a piece of property, you must be prepared to pay in cash, with a cashier’s check or certified bank check. You cannot finance the transaction, pay by personal check or even use a credit card. Again, make sure to review the official notice of auction for payment requirements.

This cash or equivalent attitude stymies many bidders. How can you get a cashier’s check before the auction if you do not know what the winning bid will be? To resolve this, many people will get a check for their minimum bid and then bring cash on top of it to make up the difference between the check and winning bid. Not the smoothest approach, but the IRS accepts this approach.

Finally, most people wish to know if they can get on the IRS mailing list for property auctions. In short, the answer is no. There is no list. While this might make you groan, you should realize it also constitutes the reason you can sometimes get a major deal. If everyone was able to access a mailing list, the auctions would be packed and great deals would not exist!

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With the recent push by President Bush for alternative fuel strategies, much confusion has arisen regarding tax incentives for hybrid vehicles. This article clarifies the issue for you.

Tax Deductions for Your 2005 Hybrid Automobile

People buy hybrid vehicles for different reason. They are good for the environment. They get much better mileage, which saves money. There are tax incentives for buying them. With the recent energy plan put in place by the federal government, there is a lot of confusion regarding the tax incentives.

Specifically, the question for most people is whether they can claim a tax deduction or a tax credit when they buy a hybrid. Here is the breakdown:

The Good - If you purchased a hybrid vehicle in 2005, you can claim a tax deduction.

The Bad - If you purchased a hybrid vehicle in 2005, you cannot claim a tax credit.

The Ugly - If you had waited till 2006, you could have claimed a tax credit.

Tax credits save you a lot more money than tax deductions. Tax deductions are applied to your gross income like any other deduction. This helps lower your tax bill, but tax credits are much more powerful. Tax credits are not taken out of your gross income. Instead, tax credits are taken out of the exact amount of tax you owe the government. If you owe the government $10,000 after filling out your tax return and can claim a $2,000 tax credit, your final tax bill is $8,000.

You are stuck with a tax deduction tax deduction if you purchased a hybrid in 2005, but at least it is a nice one. The deduction amount is $2,000 for vehicles certified by the IRS. They include:

Ford Escape Hybrid: Model Year 2006

Mercury Mariner Hybrid: Model Year 2006

Lexus RX 400h: Model Year 2006

Ford Escape Hybrid: Model Year 2005

Toyota Prius: Model Years 2001 through 2006

Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Model Year 2006

Honda Insight: Model Years 2000 through 2005

Honda Civic Hybrid: Model Years 2003 and 2005

Honda Accord Hybrid: Model Year 2005

To claim this deduction, you must have purchased a NEW hybrid. If the hybrid was used, you get nothing. Assuming it was new, the deduction is claimed on line 36 of the 1040 form. Make sure to write Clean Fuel in the space provided.

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information on tax and taxes. Visit us to read more tax articles and our new tax credits page.

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