California EV Rebate

[Ready]

I have a question that is directed mainly toward California residents who have purchase an electric vehicle and applied for the rebate. I'm in line to purchase a Tesla Model 3 later this year and am hoping to qualify for the $2,500 CA rebate.

In reviewing the conditions for the rebate, I am hitting a snag based on income requirements. The requirement is that my income be less than $150K for a single filer or $300K for a joint filer. I'm a married filing separately filer so I'm guessing I would need to qualify for the $150K number.

I am no longer working, so my income is substantially below this figure. However, if they do an income verification, they will ask me for the last year I filed a tax return (2017), in which case I made more than $150K. Or, if I purchase the car before April 15th, I guess they would ask me for 2016 returns, in which case I still made more than $150K.

Is there any way to get CA to consider my current income rather than looking back at last year's figures? I have tried calling the CARB hotline and have never got a live person to pick up, so I thought I would throw it out to the forum to see if anyone has any suggestions or experiences in dealing with this.

 

[ERD50]

Try the Tesla/EV forum? You'll have lots of Tesla/EV owners there, probably many of them from CA. Versus a few Tesla owners here, and even fewer of them from CA (the two I can think of are not in CA).

-ERD50

 

[braumeister]

Maybe I'm not reading it right, but if you're buying it this year, then your tax credit would be on your 2018 taxes that you'll file next year. So they should only be interested in your 2018 income, right?

That's the way it works for the Federal credit, so I think CA should be the same.

 

[Another Reader]

I checked on the California rebate for a plug in hybrid a few weeks ago. There was a statement on the website that the rebates were not funded currently and that buyers would be placed on a waiting list pending funding. Is that still the case?

 

[Ready]

Try the Tesla/EV forum? You'll have lots of Tesla/EV owners there, probably many of them from CA. Versus a few Tesla owners here, and even fewer of them from CA (the two I can think of are not in CA).

-ERD50

Good point, I will give that a try.

Maybe I'm not reading it right, but if you're buying it this year, then your tax credit would be on your 2018 taxes that you'll file next year. So they should only be interested in your 2018 income, right?

That's the way it works for the Federal credit, so I think CA should be the same.

It is based on the last tax year you filed because they ask for a Form 4506-T. While I know that my income will meet the qualifications for 2018, how do they know that I'm just saying I won't be making any income this year? I wouldn't be able to confirm this until I file a 2018 tax return in 2019. By then I would have already been issued the rebate.

I checked on the California rebate for a plug in hybrid a few weeks ago. There was a statement on the website that the rebates were not funded currently and that buyers would be placed on a waiting list pending funding. Is that still the case?

Here is what I found on the website, which I presume answers the funding question:

Important Information from the State of California
$140M in Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds have been approved for CVRP. The waitlist that started on June 30, 2017 has ended as of November 21, 2017. Learn more about when waitlisted applications will receive rebate checks in our FAQ.

 

[Bamaman]

Tesla continues to be unable to ramp up production substantially for 2018. If it is 2019 before the car is received, your 2018 reduced income may take the questionable out of the equation.

 

[Ready]

I'm still researching my income qualification question, but I did learn that as of 1/1/2018 you are only eligible to choose the rebate or the carpool lane sticker, but not both, unless you meet a much lower income requirement. I'm still researching what that requirement is, but I understand it's much lower than the $150K number.

 

[Sunnymar]

I own a Tesla S, got it this year and live in CA. We know we don't qualify for the state rebate so I didn't investigate it.

We did get the CAV decal, the form didn't ask about the CA rebate.