California Rebate

Applied towards the end of January, check sent on 5-5 and now the money sits in my savings

 

Just sent in my request. All required paperwork was uploaded yesterday!

 

it looks from all the posts that is takes ~ 30 days for approval (for me too), and then ~ 60 days til check is mailed, so total ~ 90 days from submission to check ...

 

Got mine today!

 

Is the rebate taxable on State and/or Federal ?

 

No. It is like a coupon on the purchase of an item, partially offsetting the cost.

 

@CharlesH - Good to know. I pay enough taxes as it is

 

And received May 11. About 43 days from approval to receipt.

 

This is latest email I've received from the ARB, (California Air Resources Board), today, May 15, 2017:

As Melissa mentioned, we do not provide tax advice. But in preparing for the launch of this program, we did ask the same question back in 2010. The State Attorney General's Office offered us an "informal opinion in response to your inquiry about any income consequence of the cash rebate program." Here was their answer:

A cash rebate, as described in the e-mail string, does not constitute gross income to the purchaser. Accordingly, the rebate need not be reported to the IRS. (See Rev. Rul. 76-96, 1976-1 C.B. 23; Rev. Rul. 84-41, 1984-1 C.B. 130.)
That answered my question; I hope that answers yours.

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@HPrimeAdvanced - Thanks !

 

Just got the email saying my $1500 rebate has been approved, expect a check in about 90 days.

 

How do you know if you have been selected for income verification or not?

 

I assume they'll notify you. You can check your status on their webpage... it said something like 30 days for approval with no income verification, 45 with income verification, so if you haven't been approved within 30 days you might call them to ask. I did call them once or twice with various questions, and they were quite friendly and helpful. But if it were me, I'd just wait and see what happens. If they want to do income verification, they'll certainly let you know. When I did call with other questions, the lady volunteered that they were currently processing claims received on (and gave me a date). I had submitted mine just 2-3 days after that, so she said they'd probably get to mine within the next day or two, and sure enough that afternoon, I got the email. So if you're really worried you could call them and ask up to what date-received they're currently processing (to know if they've already passed yours up or not, which might be an indicator of income verification). But I'd probably just let them do their jobs, wait the 30 days, and you'll know soon enough...

 

When I submitted my application, the e-mail confirmation that I got said that I had not been selected for income verification, and the list of required documentation did not include the income verification stuff. I agree that the web page tells you exactly where your application is in their process, and if it were waiting for income verification, I assume that that info would show there.

 

Charles, if they don't ask for it, you don't need it. They just want you to be prepared should they decide to challenge your claim of low income.
!

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There are two income thresholds here. There is a limit for getting the base rebate ($300,000 for joint filers), and there is a "low income" limit for a supplemental rebate ($48,060 for a family of 2). I suspect that they are more like to challenge the "low income" claim.

 

got email today, 5/24, that check was sent ... < 4 weeks since approval, well, by 1 day - YAY!
HOV stickers check cleared on 5/17, still not received - bummer

 

Got a notification that "the check is in the mail" today also. Applied on 4 April, check mailed 24 May.

 

Mine was just approved. Little over 3 weeks from submission.

 

Just got notification that mine is approved, I submitted on 5/11.