I discovered an interesting fact while reviewing the 2011 IRS form 8936 used for the $7500 EV tax credit. While under most circumstances it is the wealthy purchasers of Chevy Volts and other high priced plug-in vehicles that get the taxpayer-funded handout, it appears that General Motors’ dealerships that sell the vehicles to government entities are benefiting by being able to claim the credits. These dealers are able to double-dip into the seemingly endless pool of taxpayer funds designated for cronies of the Obama Administration under the guise of green initiatives. Not only do taxpayers pay for Chevy Volts purchased by various government “units,” the sellers can claim the credits which were designed to help individuals be able to afford the costly vehicles.
The instructions for form 8936 state, “If you are the seller of a qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicle to a tax-exempt organization, governmental unit, or a foreign person or entity, and the use of that vehicle is described in section 50(b)(3) or (4), you can claim the credit, but only if you clearly disclose in writing to the purchaser the amount of the tentative credit allowable for the vehicle (from line 6 of Form 8936).”
I’ll let others debate this latest discovery of what I consider to be a wasteful and abusive green energy policy of the Obama Administration that benefits cronies and helps with the President’s election campaign. I think the facts speak for themselves, but that won’t stop the GM shills and defenders of the Chevy Volt from trying to justify tax credits designed for consumers going to dealerships. Maybe someone in the vast, apathetic (or, perhaps more accurately, “biased”) journalistic field will also like to question how much tax credits crony corporation, General Electric, will receive for their thousands of purchases of Volts.
Mark Modica is an NLPC Associate Fellow.