Got weird IRS letter saying I transferred my Clean Vehicle Credit to dealer - but I didn't?

Thanks for the detailed response. The purchase agreement definitely doesn't mention anything about transferring the credit - I've gone through it multiple times. The salesman was very clear that I would get the discount AND be able to claim the credit myself. I'm concerned that when I call the IRS they'll just tell me it's between me and the dealer. If the dealer won't even take my calls, how am I supposed to resolve this? Will the IRS actually help in this situation or just tell me to deal with the dealer?

The IRS should definitely help in this situation, especially with the VIN mismatch. That's a clear indication of an error in the reporting. The IRS maintains records of which vehicles are eligible for the credit and which ones have had credits claimed against them. When you call, be very specific about the VIN mismatch. This isn't just a "he said, she said" situation between you and the dealer - it's a factual reporting error. The IRS doesn't want incorrect information in their system either. They can help you dispute the transfer since the vehicle information doesn't match what you actually purchased.

How does this work exactly? Do real tax professionals review the documents or is it just an algorithm? I'm dealing with something similar with a plug-in hybrid purchase and wondering if this would help me too.

Sounds interesting but I'm skeptical. Does it actually help with IRS disputes or just tells you what the problem is? And can it actually help with EV credit issues specifically? Those are super complicated with all the new rules.

The system uses AI to analyze all your documents and identify discrepancies, but there are actual tax professionals who review complex cases like this one. It's not just algorithms working alone - they have specialists in EV tax credits who understand all the recent changes. For IRS disputes, they provide you with a detailed analysis report that identifies exactly where errors occurred and the specific regulations that apply to your situation. They'll highlight the exact sections of your purchase agreement and dealer communications that prove your case, plus they give you specific language to use when talking to the IRS.

Does this actually work? I've tried calling the IRS about 20 times this year for different issues and never gotten through to a real person. Their phone system is basically designed to make you give up.

I'm really skeptical about this. Sounds like you're just paying for someone to wait on hold for you. Why not just use the IRS callback feature? They'll hold your place in line and call you back.

Yes, it absolutely works. The system calls the IRS and navigates through all the menus and waiting periods for you. Once they've reached a live agent, they call you and connect you directly. No more spending your whole day listening to hold music. The IRS callback feature isn't available for all departments and it's notoriously unreliable. I tried using it three times and never got a call back. With Claimyr, I was speaking to an actual IRS agent within 45 minutes of signing up, after spending weeks trying on my own without success.

Thanks, I've already started gathering everything. I have the original text messages where the salesman specifically says I can claim the credit when I file. I also have my purchase agreement which doesn't mention anything about credit transfer. And I definitely paid the negotiated price - there was a "discount" but it was nowhere near the $7,500 credit amount. Since the VIN doesn't match my car, do you think this might be affecting someone else too? Like maybe they transferred the credit for a completely different customer's vehicle but put my name on it?

That's definitely possible. The dealer might have mixed up customer information when submitting the credit transfer paperwork to the IRS. This happens more often than you'd think, especially with new tax programs that dealers aren't familiar with. The good news is that since you have documentation showing you were told you could claim the credit yourself, and the VIN mismatch proves there's a clerical error, you should be able to get this resolved. The IRS doesn't want incorrect information in their system either.

I work at a car dealership (not in sales) and can confirm the confusion is real. Our finance department has messed up several of these credit transfers because the training on the new system was minimal. The paperwork for processing these transfers is completely separate from the regular purchase agreement, though. The customer has to sign a specific form authorizing the transfer.

There's nothing in my paperwork labeled specifically as a "Clean Vehicle Credit" discount. There was a "manager's discount" of $3,000 but that was part of the negotiation and nowhere near the full $7,500 credit amount. I definitely didn't sign any separate form authorizing a transfer. It's reassuring to hear from someone who works at a dealership that there should be a specific form for the transfer. That helps confirm I didn't accidentally authorize this somehow.

@Diego Chavez That s'really helpful insight about the separate form requirement. Can you clarify what that specific authorization form is called or what it looks like? I want to make sure I know exactly what to tell the IRS I never signed. Also, when dealerships mess up these transfers like you mentioned, what s'the typical process to fix it? Does it have to go through the IRS or can the dealership correct it directly with them? The fact that there s'a completely wrong VIN on my IRS notice makes me think this was definitely a paperwork mix-up on the dealer s'end, not just miscommunication about the credit terms.

@Diego Chavez This is really helpful! I m'curious about the specific form too since I m'dealing with a similar situation. My dealer told me I could claim the credit myself, but now I m'worried they might have submitted paperwork without me knowing. Do you know if dealerships are required to give customers a copy of that transfer authorization form? And if they submit it without proper authorization, is that something the IRS takes seriously as fraud or just treats it as a paperwork error? The whole system seems like it was rushed into place without proper training for dealers or clear guidelines for customers.

@Diego Chavez I m'dealing with this exact situation too and would really appreciate your insight. The form you mentioned - is it something like IRS Form 8936 or a dealer-specific document? I want to be absolutely certain what I should be looking for in my paperwork. Also, when you say your finance department has messed up several transfers, what were the most common mistakes? I m'trying to understand if what happened to me wrong (VIN, no signed authorization fits) a pattern of errors dealers are making with this new system. From your experience, how receptive is the IRS when dealers need to correct these transfer errors? Are they understanding about the confusion with the new rules, or do they treat it as the customer s'responsibility to sort out with the dealer?

@Diego Chavez Thanks for confirming about the separate authorization form - that s'exactly what I needed to know. Since I never signed anything like that and the VIN doesn t'even match my car, this is clearly an error on the dealer s'part. Do you know roughly how long it takes for the IRS to process corrections when dealers submit the wrong information for these credit transfers? I m'worried that even if I get this straightened out, it might mess up my ability to claim the credit when I file my taxes next year. Also, is there any way for customers to verify directly with the IRS whether a credit transfer was actually processed for their vehicle? I d'like to double-check that this isn t'affecting my actual car s'eligibility for the credit.

This is really solid advice. I'm going to call the IRS first thing Monday morning with all this information organized. It's reassuring to know that the VIN mismatch actually helps prove this was an error rather than making it more complicated. One thing I'm wondering - should I try contacting the dealership one more time before calling the IRS, or just go straight to the IRS? I'm worried that if I give the dealer a heads up, they might try to cover their tracks or claim I did authorize the transfer somehow. But I also don't want the IRS to tell me I need to resolve it with the dealer first. Has anyone had experience with whether the IRS expects you to try working with the business first, or do they handle these kinds of reporting errors directly?

This is exactly the approach I would take too. You've already done your due diligence trying to reach the dealership multiple times - their lack of response speaks volumes about how they handle customer service issues. The documentation you have is really strong, especially with the VIN mismatch being such clear proof of an error. I'd also suggest taking photos of your actual vehicle's VIN (usually visible through the windshield) alongside the incorrect VIN in the IRS letter when you call. Having that visual proof ready can be helpful if they need additional verification. One more thing - when you call the IRS, ask specifically about getting a letter or email confirmation that they've corrected the error in their system. This gives you documentation to keep with your tax records showing that you're eligible to claim the credit yourself when you file next year. Without this confirmation, you might face questions later about why you're claiming a credit that their system shows was already transferred to a dealer. The whole situation is frustrating, but honestly the dealer's mistake with the wrong VIN makes this much easier to resolve than if it was just a "he said, she said" situation about what was promised.