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Purchase a Car in 2009 – Get a Sales Tax Deduction – There’s Still Time

WASHINGTON — With 2010 models arriving in dealer showrooms, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that purchasing a new car, light truck, motor home or motorcycle could qualify them for a special deduction for the state and local sales and excise taxes on their 2009 tax returns.

Purchases made before Jan. 1, 2010, will qualify for this deduction under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The deduction is limited to the sales and excise taxes and similar fees paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of a new vehicle. The deduction is reduced for joint filers with modified adjusted gross incomes (MAGI) between $250,000 and $260,000 and other taxpayers with MAGI between $125,000 and $135,000. Taxpayers with higher incomes do not qualify.
Taxpayers who make qualifying new vehicle purchases this year can estimate the deduction with the help of Worksheet 10 in IRS Publication 919, How Do I Adjust My Withholding? Lines 10a to 10k of the worksheet show how to take into account purchases above the $49,500 limit, as well as the reduced deductions for taxpayers at higher income levels.

The special deduction is available regardless of whether taxpayers itemize deductions on their returns. Taxpayers who do not itemize will add this additional amount to the standard deduction on their 2009 tax return.

For those that have questions about the deduction for sales tax and other fees, these questions and answers might help. A video on the IRS Youtube.com channel and audio podcasts in English and Spanish are also available to help taxpayers take full advantage of the deduction.

Did You Purchase a New Car This Year? – Here Are Some Facts about the New Vehicle Sales and Excise Tax Deduction

[Stacie says: Here are some great tips from the IRS if you purchased a new car this year.]

Taxpayers who buy new motor vehicles this year may be entitled to a special tax deduction for the sales or excise taxes on those purchases when they file their 2009 federal tax returns next year. This tax break is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Taxpayers in states that do not have state sales taxes may be entitled to deduct other fees or taxes imposed by the state or local government.
Here are nine important facts the IRS wants you to know about the deduction.
State and local sales and excise taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of each qualifying vehicle are deductible.

Qualified motor vehicles generally include new cars, light trucks, motor homes and motorcycles.

To qualify for the deduction, the new cars, light trucks and motorcycles must weigh 8,500 pounds or less. Motor homes are not subject to the weight limit.

Purchases must occur after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010.

Taxpayers who purchase new motor vehicles in states that do not have state sales taxes may be entitled to deduct other fees or taxes assessed on the purchase of those vehicles. Fees or taxes that qualify must be based on the vehicles’ sales price or as a per unit fee. These states include Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon.

Taxpayers who purchase qualified motor vehicles may claim the deduction when they file their 2009 tax return in 2010.

The deduction may not be taken on 2008 tax returns.

This deduction can be taken regardless of whether the buyers itemize their deductions or choose the standard deduction.Taxpayers who do not itemize will add this additional amount to the standard deduction on their 2009 tax return.

The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers.

For more information on this and other key tax provisions of the Recovery Act visit the official IRS Website at IRS.gov.

Links:
Sales Tax Deduction for Vehicle Purchases
YouTube Video: Vehicle Tax Deduction
Audio File for Podcast – ARRA Vehicle Tax Deduction: English Spanish
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Information Center