New EV tax credit rules are all over the news — worth timing a purchase around?
Dealer keeps telling me to 'buy before the credit changes.' I don't trust a word out of his mouth. Car: EV SUV around $45k, buying within 3 months either way. Is the new credit real money or is it one of those things where the car I want doesn't qualify and the MSRP cap kills it? Anyone actually claimed one recently?
1 answer
- The credit has AGI and MSRP caps — do the math first
The EV credit isn't a flat discount for everyone — it has adjusted-gross-income caps and vehicle MSRP caps, and the car has to meet battery-sourcing and assembly rules. Pull the VIN on the IRS qualified-vehicle list before you get excited; half the trims dealers push don't qualify. Rough math: $7,500 on a $45k car is ~17% off, but if the model I want misses the battery-content threshold I get $3,750 — and at that point the hybrid version pencils out better. Don't let the headline number drive the decision.