TIGTA: 20% Error Rate in Tax Credits Claimed for Electric and Hybrid Cars

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration today released Individuals Received Millions of Dollars in Erroneous Plug-in Electric and Alternative Motor Vehicle Credits (2011-41-011):

Approximately $33 million in credits for plug-in electric and alternative-fueled vehicles credits were erroneously claimed by at least 12,920 taxpayers through July 24, 2010. … That means about 20% of the $163.9 million in credits claimed by taxpayers from January 1, 2010 to July 24, 2010 for plug-in electric and alternative motor vehicle credits were claimed in error. In the course of its review, TIGTA also found that 1,719 of the 12,920 individuals also erroneously reduced the amount of Alternative Minimum Tax they owed by almost $5.3 million.

According to TIGTA’s review, approximately 29 prisoners also received $49,926 in vehicle credits even though they were in prison all of Calendar Year 2009. The erroneous claims TIGTA identified resulted from inadequate IRS processes to ensure information reported by individuals claiming the credits met qualifying requirements for vehicle year, placed in-service date, and make and model. TIGTA’s review of electronically filed tax returns identified individuals who erroneously claimed the same vehicle for multiple plug-in electric and alternative motor vehicle credits or claimed an excessive number of vehicles for personal use credits. TIGTA also determined that the IRS cannot track and account for plug-in electric and alternative motor vehicle credits claimed by individuals on paper-filed tax returns because it has not established processes to capture this information from those returns.

About the Author

Paul Caron

Paul Caron was named Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law on June 1, 2017. Dean Caron joined the Pepperdine faculty in 2013 after serving as the Dorothy and Leonard Straus Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law in the spring semesters of 2010 through 2013. He served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development at Pepperdine in 2015-2017. Before coming to Pepperdine, he was Associate Dean of Faculty and Charles Hartsock Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

8 responses to “TIGTA: 20% Error Rate in Tax Credits Claimed for Electric and Hybrid Cars”

Real American

February 3, 2011

it’s come time for taxpayers to stop subsidizing the purchase of cars by pious douchebags.

Joe Redfield

February 3, 2011

I would bet the IRS is telling members of Congress, very discretely, that if the Obamacare 1099 provision is not eliminated the whole agency will grind to a halt in January of 2012.

egoist

February 3, 2011

I like the prisoner element. Reminds me of how IL prisoners received their ballots (in 2010 election), but their deployed soldiers didn’t.
Hopeless, just hopeless.