• Logout
  • Member Center

Cars.com Kicking Tires

Clearing Up Tax Rules on Clunkers Cash

 

Cash_for_clunkers
Recently, rumors have sprouted on the Internet that consumers who took advantage of Cash for Clunkers will have to count the program’s rebate as income and pay taxes on it.

For the record, this is not true. The Internal Revenue Service has said again and again that “the credit is not income for the consumer.”

However, the rules do not address state tax laws, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which administered the program, has no authority to tell the states that they may not consider the Clunkers money taxable income. You’ll have to check with your own state taxation office to be sure, but the good news is that the New York Times reports the tax departments of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York have all said they will not tax the vouchers.

Correcting the Chatter: For Consumers, No Federal Tax Due on Clunkers Rebate (Wheels)

The Miami Herald: Subscribe now!

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

We have introduced a new commenting system called Disqus for our articles. This allows readers the option of signing in using their Facebook, Twitter, Disqus or existing MiamiHerald.com username and password.

Having problems? Read more about the commenting system on MiamiHerald.com.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK
0 comments

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category