Finance Tax Time

The Energy Act of 2005 created major tax credit incentives for people purchasing hybrid vehicles. The IRS has recently concluded the quarterly review of manufacturers and issued tax credit status.

IRS Updates Hybrid Tax Credits Following Industry Audit

As part of the Energy Act of 2005, the federal government took a major step towards promoting the use of hybrid vehicles. In simple terms, it converted the tax deduction for purchasing a hybrid vehicle into a tax credit. This change was remarkable because a tax credit is very valuable because it is a reduction from the actual amount of tax you owe, not your gross income. Given the fact the tax credit could be over $3,000 for some models, this was a major boon for hybrid car sales!

Alas, the hybrid tax credits were not set in concrete in the tax code. Instead, they are known as phase out credits. In this case, the amount of the tax credit is first set by the IRS after a review of the car model in question. Each quarter, the IRS then totals all of the hybrid sales by manufacturer. Once the total sales reach certain milestones, the tax credit amount is reduced by a percentage. Eventually, the credits are completely phased out and the relevant automobile executives openly weep.

The magic sales threshold for hybrid manufacturers is 60,000 cars sold. Once a manufacturer hits this level, the credits phase out in a labored manner as is typical with taxes. Once the 60,001 car is sold, you still have until the end of the next quarter to buy and claim the full tax credit. Once that date is passed, you can still claim a credit for a new purchase, but at a rate of half the credit amount originally assigned by the IRS so long as you buy during the next two calendar quarters. After those dates pass, the credit is reduced to 25 percent of the original amount for two more credits. Thereafter, it is eliminated completely. Nice and simple, eh?

The IRS recently completed the quarterly audit for the manufactures. As of June 2006, the credit amounts for any Toyota hybrid have been cut in half as the company has met the first hybrid sales threshold. All other manufacturers, however, still qualify for the full tax credit amounts as they have not met said sales levels. The manufacturers include Honda, Ford and GM.

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As 2006 rolls along, the IRS is in the process of issuing tax credit amounts to particular hybrid vehicles. The agency has just issued the amounts for a number of GM vehicles.

As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the tax advantages of owning a hybrid vehicle have been seriously upgraded. Prior to the Act, a person that purchased such a vehicle could claim a tax deduction of up to $2,000. While this was nice, the new Act changed the deduction into a tax credit. Tax credits are far better than tax deductions because they are reduced directly from the tax you owe, not your gross income.

Through 2006, the IRS is working its way through various hybrid models and issuing the amount of tax credit that can be claimed for each. Makes include Honda, Toyota, Ford, Lexus and just about every vehicle in the class. On July 11, 2006, the IRS issued a slew of tax credit determinations for hybrid trucks made by General Motors.

If you purchase a new GM hybrid truck, you will now be able to claim a tax credit on your tax returns. The models and amount of the tax credit that can be claimed are as follows:

1. $650 dollars for 2006 GMC Sierra (4WD) hybrid pickup truck.

2. $650 dollars for 2007 GMC Sierra (4WD) hybrid pickup truck.

3. $650 dollars for 2006 Chevrolet Silverado (4WD) hybrid pickup truck.

4. $650 dollars for 2007 Chevrolet Silverado (4WD) hybrid pickup truck.

5. $250 dollars for 2006 GMC Sierra (2WD) hybrid pickup truck.

6. $250 dollars for 2007 GMC Sierra (2WD) hybrid pickup truck.

7. $250 dollars for 2006 Chevrolet Silverado (2WD) hybrid pickup truck.

8. $250 dollars for 2007 Chevrolet Silverado (2WD) hybrid pick up truck.

To claim the tax credit, you must purchase any of the above vehicles from a dealer after January 1, 2006. The vehicle must also be new, not used. As an aside, the tax credit amount will drop after the 60,000th model has been sold, so you may want to buy now if you are considering any of these vehicles.

Tax credits for purchasing a hybrid are a tremendous benefit when it comes to filing your returns. Since the tax credit amount is reduced directly from the amount you owe, it can make for some very nice refunds.

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information on taxes.

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