Ford sets up hybrid hotline for tax season
Since you’re paying a premium for that
hybrid in the garage it’s important to get back every penny of that purchase you’re entitled to. If you
purchased either a Ford Escape or Mercury Mariner Hybrid this year (or any other automaker’s hybrid), next year
you’ll be able to claim some type of tax incentive that ranges anywhere from $1,950 to $5,925 depending on where
you live. Ford dealers now have a direct line to a hybrid hotline set up by the company that will aid Blue Oval
customers in determining how much in incentives their entitled to from federal, state and local governments. Where’s the most lucrative state in which to own a hybrid? West Virginia, which combines the $1,950 - $2,600 federal tax credit with West Virginia’s Alternative Fuel Motor Tax Credit for a grand total of between $5,310 and $5,925 in tax relief.
[Source: Ford]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
iQuack 9:34PM (4/11/2006)
Just more silly, government diddling with the tax code for the purchase of social engineering.
A tax incentive to encourage the purchase of an uneconomical vehicle by making it less uneconomical is ridiculous when you really think about it. Higher gas prices will cause people to reduce their driving and replace gas hogs with economy cars anyway. Why should taxpayers subsidize hybrid cars?
The tax code should be used for raising money to run the government, not change consumer behavior except for lowering all taxes to stimulate economic growth.
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EDSON ANDRE' JOHNSON 10:55PM (4/20/2006)
YES, WE NEED TAX CREDITS.BUT WE NEED REAL PROMOTION OF ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES, HOW ABOUT AN EARTH DAY FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY,A GLOBAL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE DAY. PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE FROM OIL. MAYBE ON JULY 10TH ? THE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF THJE GREAT (A.C.ELETRIC MOTORS,A.C.POWER ETC.) NIKOLA TESLA???
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EDSON ANDRE' JOHNSON 10:58PM (4/20/2006)
yes,tax incentives are necessary to promote hybrids. HOW ABOUT A GLOBAL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE DAY(AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY DAY)MAYBE JULY 10TH.EACH YEAR BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF ENERGYT PIONEER NIKOLA TESLA
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J. Kul 7:19PM (4/27/2006)
The government steps in to increase consumer incentives to buy hybrid cars because there has been a market failure due to imperfect information. As an economist, I support the concept that markets will lead consumers to make the right choices, however, markets fail. Governments have an obligation to subsidize activities that are socially optimal when the market prices don't reflect the true social costs.
Gas consumption in the U.S. is taxed less than any other developed country:
U.S. 35% tax; Canada 50% tax; Japan 56% tax; Spain 65% tax; Italy 71% tax; Germany 76% tax; France 77% tax; UK 81% tax (International Energy Agency 2001)
indicating that our gas prices are not truly reflective of the social costs of gas use as estimated by our contemporaries. Gas prices would need to skyrocket before the market would efficently reduce "gas-hogging" vehichles in favor of hybrids.
That is why hybrids are subsidized through tax credits.
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DPC car videos 6:20PM (9/02/2006)
How about the companies just give us great lease incentives for hybrids.
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