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[shayan]

https://ww.electrek.co/2019/12/18/us-extends-tax-credits-for-ev-chargers-motorcycles-fuel-cells-again-retroactively/

From the amended bill:

19 SEC. 126. 2-WHEELED PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CREDIT.
20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 30D(g)(3)(E)(ii) is
21 amended by striking ‘‘January 1, 2018’’ and inserting
22 ‘‘January 1, 2021’’.
23 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
24 this section shall apply to vehicles acquired after Decem25 ber 31, 2017.

-Shayan

[Richard230]

Good news, but I have to wonder how giving you a rebate for something that you bought a couple of years ago helps future retail sales.  I wonder what the government is trying to accomplish with this retroactive rebate?  It makes a lot more sense to offer a rebate for new electric motorcycle purchases for more than just 2020-year sales. But at least it will help out 2020 sales and getting a rebate for previous sales is a nice unexpected present. Still, it makes you wonder what the government is trying to accomplish with a retroactive rebate?   

[shayan]

Good news indeed. I'm not sure either on why it has been retroactively enabled. Could be a way to encourage the use of EV's, i guess even the Vanderhall Edison will now be eligible for the rebate. This will encourage more manufacturers to bring their eMotorcycles to the USA!

I wonder if things like chargetank/powertank will also be eligible for the rebate.

-Shayan

[DonTom]

Anybody know if there is a limit on multiple charge stations and for the number of electric vehicles?  How many times we can claim this tax credit?

-Don-  In warm (~75F here today) Organ Pipe Cactus Nat'l Mon, AZ (RV)

[Richard230]

So far, I have taken advantage of the credit a total of 5 times during the past 10 years.  The first two times for my purchase of two Electric Motorsport GPR-S bikes.  Interestingly, those motorcycles were not authorized to receive the rebate as the company had not filed the appropriate paperwork with the IRS, although they did qualify for the rebate due their technical specifications.  However, I applied for the rebate anyway and received 10% of my purchase prices as a credit against the amount that I owned on my 2009 and 2010 tax returns.  I got the money and was never audited.   

My three Zero purchases also qualified my for the 10% credit as Zero did (eventually) submit the correct paperwork verifying that their bikes met the tax law's standards for the credit.  Their VIN numbers were entered into the IRS database and when my tax preparer plugged my rebate request into the IRS electronic form, it was immediately approved - at least for the 2012 and 2014 Zero purchases.

However things changed in 2017, which was when I bought my 2018 Zero S. Electric motorcycle purchases did not qualify for the credit during that year. So when I filed my 20-17 tax return, I could not claim the credit. Then Congress (in its great wisdom) passed a new tax law during the spring of 2018, retroactively making the rebate qualify for 2017 purchases, but not 2018 purchases - go figure. So I had to file an amended 2017 tax return in July of 2018 and a few months later I received a check from the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $1,830.  So it all worked out nicely in the end, but U.S. tax laws and likely the thinking behind them sure are convoluted. 

Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the introduction of the H-D Livewire resulted in the re-authorization of the tax credit, rather than the availability of Zero or Energica electric motorcycles.

Regarding the other EV products that are apparently covered by the new tax law, my recommendation would be to apply for rebates for your purchases of those items. All the IRS can say is "no" and not give you the rebate. But in my experience, they seem to have bigger fish to fry than that sort of nickel and dime stuff and you will likely receive the credit that you are requesting.   

[valnar]

This is fantastic news I wasn't expecting.  I just bought my 2020 Zero FXS a couple months ago, and it appears I may get back ~ $1100.

Since this is the first time I dipped my toe into the EV world, is there anything I need from my dealer or Zero in order to fill out the appropriate forms during tax season?

-Robert

[Richard230]

This is fantastic news I wasn't expecting.  I just bought my 2020 Zero FXS a couple months ago, and it appears I may get back ~ $1100.

Since this is the first time I dipped my toe into the EV world, is there anything I need from my dealer or Zero in order to fill out the appropriate forms during tax season?

-Robert

All I needed was to show my tax preparer the purchase invoice for my Zero. You will also need to enter the date of purchase and your bike's VIN into the IRS EV credit form.

[DonTom]

I got the money and was never audited.   

The way that usually works is you get your money and then several years later you get a letter from the IRS asking for their money back, plus interest, where you may then say you disagree or pay the money back right then.

If you disagree, you have a chance to explain, with a big hassle (ask me how I know). If you agree, there are no hassles at all, they just want their money. It's very rare to be audited over such things.

In my case, I made my case and got a letter from the IRS saying it has been resolved and I owe nothing. Only took a week or so to get the letter after I made my case.

BTW, I once had a similar incident with the CA State Franchise Board. I also made my case, they never replied and that was years ago. 

Without going into details, there have  been times that my taxes have became so complicated that the IRS and CA Franchise Board got confused with their own BS .

-Don-  OPCNM, AZ (RV)

[Richard230]

 

[GaryArt1]

Guys, the only articles I've read to say this is Electrek or ones sourcing them.  I googled it and see A LOT of articles saying otherwise.  I hope it is true but I am doubting it at this point.

[Richard230]

Guys, the only articles I've read to say this is Electrek or ones sourcing them.  I googled it and see A LOT of articles saying otherwise.  I hope it is true but I am doubting it at this point.

My money is on the information in the article being correct. The tax law revisions are very similar to what Congress has done before.  The previous deletion of the credit in 2017 was said to have to do with politics and the fact that Brammo motorcycles were being produced in Oregon and a Republican Senator didn't like a Democrat in the House of Representatives and was trying to stick it to him and his state by cutting the credit that year. Then the following year the credit was retroactively approved, likely as part of negotiations with the two parties to get that year's tax bill approved. I hear that there was a lot of pork placed in this year's budget bill and the credit might have been a very small part of that compromise to get everyone to sign off on the law to get it passed.

[shayan]

Also, like i have mentioned in the original post, here is the amendment:
https://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/HWC_103_xml1217190022572257.pdf

Do any of you know if thats the original government site?

-Shayan

[GaryArt1]

I am really hoping this is true.  I am still a little skeptical because all the other articles I've read say that the EV extension was dropped out of bill really hurting Tesla and GM.  It would be nice to get a $22K tax credit for the SRF.  Maybe the wife will allow me to use it on the Power Tank.  Probably not.  Does anyone know if it is the full purchase price (bike, fright, setup, tax) that you use as the write off.  I did this a bunch of years back for my solar panels and forgot how I did it.  BTW, IRS never batted an eye over that write off.  I hope this happens.  Would be nice.

[DonTom]

I am really hoping this is true.  I am still a little skeptical because all the other articles I've read say that the EV extension was dropped out of bill really hurting Tesla and GM.  It would be nice to get a $22K tax credit for the SRF.  Maybe the wife will allow me to use it on the Power Tank.  Probably not.  Does anyone know if it is the full purchase price (bike, fright, setup, tax) that you use as the write off.  I did this a bunch of years back for my solar panels and forgot how I did it.  BTW, IRS never batted an eye over that write off.  I hope this happens.  Would be nice.

They never had a 22k$ tax credit anywhere. There was a $7,500.00 tax credit cap, which I was able to use every cent of for my 2018 FIT for buying my new Tesla. Motorcycles are much less of a credit than that 7.5K$.

And many cannot take full (or any) advantage of the tax credit.  IOW, you have to  deduct it from your FIT taxable income, but many will not benefit at all from such.   An example would be if your taxable income is already below the tax credit amount.

But CA state rebates have been a true rebate, not a tax credit, as long as you're poor. Poor to CA means your income is  less than 150K$ per year.

-Don-  OPCNM, AZ

[GaryArt1]

My bad.  I meant a tax credit on the $22K purchase price which according to what I read would be 10% up to a max of a $2500.00 credit.  Yeah if I could have got a credit of the full $22K I would have bought 2 bikes.