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Government gives hybrid buyers raw deal on tax bre

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by jkash, Nov 2, 2005.

  1. jkash

    jkash Member

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    Government gives hybrid buyers raw deal on tax breaks
    By Ann Job / Special to The Detroit News

    Hybrid car buyers are getting a raw deal from the recently signed U.S. energy policy bill.
    Worse, many of these hybrid buyers likely won't find out how raw a deal they're getting until they're well into the purchase process.

    The problem is the idiotic and unnecessarily complicated limits that federal lawmakers imposed on tax credits for gasoline-electric hybrids and alternative-fuel vehicles. These tax credits, according to one study, could be worth up to $3,600 a vehicle starting next year.
    But to get the maximum estimated tax credit amount of some $3,000 for a Toyota Prius, for example, buyers will need to take delivery of their new, fuel-efficient car after Jan. 1 and -- stick with me now -- before the end of the quarter that follows the quarter in which Toyota sells and delivers its 60,000th hybrid.

    Let me repeat this: A buyer must buy, take possession and put into service his Prius during the correct calendar period to get the top tax credit.

    Read entire story by clicking this link.
     
  2. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

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    The US Government is subsidizing Toyota Sales on vehicle which have 3% North American content. Now that makes snese doesn't it. Next year there will be a federal subsidy on clothes manufactures in China and Vietnam!
     
  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    As complicated as that sounds it seems like a good thing to me.

    If Toyota sells it's 60k'th Prius on July 1st then everyone who buys a Prius in 2006 will get the credit--July 1 is in the 3rd quarter, the credit extends to the quarter AFTER the quarter that the 60k'th Prius was sold.

    It seems pretty likely that that 60k'th Prius won't sell until July unless production ramps up well beyond 2005's numbers (didn't they sell ~90k total in '05 so far?).

    Certainly if the 60k'th Prius is delivered on/before June 30th that'll screw everyone who buys in the last quarter, but heck, there has to be some reasonable limit set. I thought it would be either the official 60k'th vehicle or the month that the 60k'th was sold, this seems like a bonus the way I read it and might avoid some of the rush to buy. Of course, if wait lists start stretching to 9 months or a year like they did at introduction of the '04 it could get ugly as people start cursing that they missed delivery by 1 week of the deadline and 'lost' $3200. There'll be some bitterness for sure.
     
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    They're subsidizing all vehicles, no matter where they're made, that meet the Repulican approved Energy Bill criteria. This reduces fossil fuel use for all Americans. It reduces pollution for all Americans. Of course if isolationism at any cost is more important to you I can understand your stance. If GM hadn't sat around with their thumbs up their butts since 1997 when Hybrids became a reality, all the while denying the technology having any merit, they might just have something to sell.

    BTW, Ford Escape Hybrid buyers and Mercury Mariner Hybrid buyers (I think those are made in America, correct me if I'm wrong) qualify under the exact same criteria as the foreign made vehicles.

    So, if American manufactures can't/won't step to the plate to do the right thing to reduce our foreign oil dependence and to help the environment then we should cow-tow to them, deny those companies who are making an effort to do so--just so we can show how tough we are. Sure, makes great sense to me. I wish you'd been here on PriusChat 2 years ago to better enlighten me before I wasted my time on this Prius stuff. :rolleyes:
     
  5. Kiloran

    Kiloran New Member

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    <_< Please do not let Malorn hijack yet another thread into another Globalism vs. Nationalism debate.

    Stick to the topic as much as possible.
     
  6. SteveS

    SteveS New Member

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    LOL... I noticed that keeps happening too :)
     
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Not to worry bra', I've successfully ignored his idiocy in the now 14-15 page troll thread and won't get caught up in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent--just isn't fair to him.
     
  8. jtmhog

    jtmhog Member

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    This thread refers only to the Prius. The 60,000 limit includes all hybrids sold by each manufacturer. The tax credit varies with the hybrid model. The chevy hybrid pick-up truck credit is zero--what a joke!! 120 volts plugs in the bed--whoopee!!
     
  9. Mystery Squid

    Mystery Squid Junior Member

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    This whole tax credit thing is retarded.

    Give everyone who owns one a MEANINGFUL credit per year, none of this read-the-fine-print-caveat BS.

    And yes, I'm fully capable of understanding the mechansims underlying the concept, but I prefer to deal in "ideals".

    It's almost like getting a speeding ticket, and the officer says, "I cut your fine down in order to give you a break." Total BS, nothing but a play on various "perspectives".
     
  10. Wayne

    Wayne Active Member

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    malorn said something? Oh ya, I guess he did... All I have is an entry that says:

    You have chosen to ignore malorn.

    I see he made "Senior Prius Poster". Uggh... Can we change that to "Troll"?
     
  11. LaughingMan

    LaughingMan Active Member

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    This 60000 limit was designed to protect Ford and GM who are not selling as many hybrids as Toyota...

    This is in no way of the US government subsidizing Toyota.

    I'm getting sick of his isolationist rantings.
     
  12. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i believe the credit is crap. it either should be for the entire model year or not. they instituted this in order to penalize Toyota and Honda because as you know, there aint an american manufacturer that will have a chance at this with the possible exception of Ford. Toyota will burn through their 60,000 in the first quarter.
     
  13. HeuristicsInc

    HeuristicsInc New Member

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    Here's the part I found most irritating, given that I already knew of the limits:

    uhhhh, so they put in this overly complicated "system" and have no means of tracking it? great work, government people!
    -bill
     
  14. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    First quarter! I highly doubt that. Mid to late 2nd quarter 'might' be possible. 60k in the first quarter would suggest that Toyota is capable of delivering 240k Prius to the USA in a given year--no way they can produce that many.

    Now, is it possible that 60k people will get on waiting lists and such in the first quarter...absolutely, but no way they'll deliever that many in the first quarter.

    To date, AFAIK, Toyota is yet to deliver even 10k Prius in a given month ( http://priuschat.com/Prius-Sales-October-a...d33-t12032.html ). At the 9,900 rate of deliver that'll take sales into the 3rd quarter before they hit 60k and thus everyone who buys in 2006 will get the credit, even if Toyota goes on to sell 100 or 120k Prius--as I stated in my first post in this thread. How's that 'crap'?
     
  15. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    here the gov dropped the sales tax up to a $2000 limit regardless of Manufacture. You buy a hybrid take off $2000 in tax. Your "system" is screwed.
    I also got that "you have chosen to ignore Malorn" troll warning.
     
  16. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    their expected increase should bring them to about 12-15,000 per month, then add the other hybrids they have and i wouldnt be surprised to see 60k in 3 months. it is all hybrids from a manufacturer right?

    if its per model then that would be different. 1st quarter maybe ambitious, but to stretch it out to the 3rd... dont think we have any chance of that
     
  17. Kiloran

    Kiloran New Member

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    Complicated or not, a $3150 tax credit kicks the snot out of a $2000 tax deduction. :D

    Yep. They certainly did tailor the credit to help american manufactures by phasing out the credit quickly on (presumably) more popular foreign imports while maintaining it for (presumably) less popular domestic manufacturers.
    This is probably the most straightforward way for them to do this without mentioning manufacturers by name in the law and violating various trade agreements.
    (Congress does this kind of thing all the time.)

    I doubt anyone on this site is going to miss out on the credit for lack of information though. ;)
     
  18. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    just how many people will qualify for the full $3150 credit which will probably only net you about 800$ in cash as it's against your income. Then you have to wait for tax time, here the day you pay for the vehicle you save 2 grand. No waiting no nothing. Save $2000 in after tax dollars.
     
  19. Kiloran

    Kiloran New Member

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    :) Assuming the $3150 estimate is accurate, most people will qualify.
    Alternate minimum tax only kicks in for higher income people (although I understand it is creeping down into the upper end of middle class).

    B) Also, you don't have to wait till tax time to realize the credit.
    It can be realized at ~$800 per quarter with little effort.
    (See thread: http://priuschat.com/2006-Tax-Credit-Strategy-t11911.html)
     
  20. Catskillguy

    Catskillguy New Member

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    Frank.. No.. the $3150 is FULL cash back.. It is a credit, NOT a deduction. I guess you came up with that $800 from calculating a 25% tax bracket. With the exception of those who may be subject to the even more complicated Alternative Minimum Tax, those who qualify for the $3150, will take that right off the top of their tax obligation, not their income!

    :)