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Collins Angel

Why is my car dealership charging $2000 a month for my lease payment?

I'm absolutely livid right now and need some tax/financial advice. I bought what I thought was a reasonably priced SUV last year, and the monthly payments were supposed to be around $650. Just checked my bank statement today and noticed the dealership has been charging me $2000 EVERY MONTH since I got the car! Called them immediately and they're saying something about "tax liability adjustments" and claiming I agreed to this in the financing paperwork. I literally can't afford this, and I'm worried about how this affects my taxes. Does this count as some kind of income? Can I deduct any of this since I sometimes use the car for my side gig? They're refusing to show me where I agreed to this and won't let me out of the contract. I'm supposed to file my taxes next month and have no idea how to handle this nightmare situation. Any advice would be so appreciated before I completely lose it.

Marcelle Drum

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This sounds like a serious concern that needs immediate attention. First, you need to get a copy of all your purchase/lease documents. The dealership is legally required to provide you with copies of anything you signed. Request these documents in writing and consider sending it via certified mail so you have proof they received it. What you're describing doesn't sound like a tax issue but rather a contract dispute. The "tax liability adjustments" language they're using is confusing and not a standard term in auto financing. If you're using the vehicle for a side business, you may be able to deduct a portion of the expenses based on business use percentage - track your mileage carefully and separate personal from business use. As for the immediate payment issue, review your bank statements to document when this increased amount started being charged. If you have any initial paperwork or emails showing the $650 amount, gather those as evidence.

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Tate Jensen

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Thanks for the advice! Do you think I should involve a lawyer at this point or try to resolve directly with the dealership? Also, how do I properly document business vs personal use for tax purposes?

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Marcelle Drum

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I'd first try to resolve it directly with the dealership by speaking with the general manager or owner, not just a salesperson. Document all communications and if they won't budge after a good faith effort, then yes, consulting with a lawyer who specializes in consumer protection would be appropriate. For documenting business vs personal use, keep a mileage log (either paper or using an app) that records the date, starting/ending mileage, destination, and business purpose for each business trip. The IRS accepts this as documentation. Track total miles driven for the year and calculate what percentage was for business - that's the percentage of expenses you can potentially deduct.

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Adaline Wong

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After reading your situation, I immediately thought of my similar experience last year. The dealership kept giving me the runaround about "finance charges" that weren't in my original agreement. I was about to hire a lawyer when a friend recommended I try taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). It's this cool service that can scan all your documents and tell you exactly what you're legally responsible for. I uploaded my car loan docs and it found THREE discrepancies between what I was told verbally and what was buried in the contract. Their analysis helped me dispute the charges successfully. It even identified a clause that allowed me to renegotiate terms after 6 months. You might want to give it a try with your paperwork - it could save you thousands if there's something fishy going on with that "tax liability adjustment" they're claiming.

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Gabriel Ruiz

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How accurate is this service really? I've been burned by similar tools before that missed important details and I ended up with penalties.

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Does it actually help with negotiating with the dealership or just tell you what's in the paperwork? I'm dealing with a shady car lease too and wondering if it's worth trying.

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Adaline Wong

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The accuracy is impressive - it uses the same technology that legal firms use for document review. I was skeptical too, but it caught a clause on page 17 of my contract that even my friend who works in finance missed. It highlights exact wording and explains the implications in plain English. It doesn't negotiate for you, but it gives you the exact ammunition you need for negotiations. In my case, I printed the analysis, highlighted the sections about rate increases, and brought it to the dealership. When they realized I understood exactly what they could and couldn't do according to the contract, their tone changed completely. They reduced my monthly payment within 20 minutes of me showing them the report.

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Gabriel Ruiz

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I wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after our conversation here. I decided to try it with my lease agreement that had some questionable charges. Wow - it found that the dealership had actually inserted a "market adjustment fee" that wasn't in the original quote, and the contract had a cancellation clause they never told me about! I was able to print the analysis, highlight the relevant sections, and speak with the finance manager with actual confidence. They backed down immediately when I showed them the report and referenced specific paragraphs. My payment was adjusted down by $570/month! I can't believe how much I was overpaying. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with confusing contract terms.

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Peyton Clarke

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Have you tried calling the IRS directly to ask about these "tax liability adjustments"? I had a similar issue with a property management company claiming certain fees were "tax requirements." After three days of trying to get through to the IRS, I finally used https://claimyr.com to connect with an actual IRS agent. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally got through, the agent confirmed that there's no such thing as the "mandatory tax fees" my property manager was charging. Sounds like your dealership might be using similar misleading language. An IRS agent can give you official confirmation about whether there's any tax basis for what you're being charged, which gives you stronger standing when confronting the dealership.

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Vince Eh

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Wait, how does this Claimyr thing actually work? The IRS wait times are insane so I'm skeptical anything can really get you through.

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Sounds like a scam. You're telling me you pay extra money just to talk to the IRS? They're a government agency, everyone should have equal access without paying some third party.

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Peyton Clarke

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It works by holding your place in the phone queue. You enter your number, and their system waits on hold instead of you. When an IRS agent picks up, you get an immediate call connecting you directly to that agent. No more sitting on hold for hours or calling repeatedly only to get disconnected. I understand your skepticism - I felt the same way initially. But consider the value of your time. I spent nearly 12 hours across 3 days trying to reach someone before giving up. With Claimyr, I got through in about 45 minutes (while I continued working). The information I received saved me over $3,000 in bogus "tax-related" charges. It's not about paying for access - it's about not wasting an entire day on hold.

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I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, my car loan situation got worse - the dealership started claiming I needed to pay an additional "tax liability deposit" of $1,500. I decided to try Claimyr as a last resort to speak with the IRS directly. Within 35 minutes, I was connected to an IRS representative who confirmed there's absolutely no legitimate tax reason for these charges. He even emailed me official documentation stating this that I could show the dealership. When I brought this to the finance manager, they immediately backed down and removed all the extra charges. The $1,500 "deposit" disappeared, and my monthly payment went back to the originally agreed amount. I'm still shocked at how effective this was - saved me thousands and endless headaches.

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Sounds like classic dealer markup tactics. When I worked at a dealership years ago, finance managers would create all kinds of fake "required fees" with official-sounding names. Check your contract CAREFULLY - especially for something called a "payment packing" where they bundle unnecessary products into your monthly payment. Most people don't realize they can refuse these add-ons.

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Collins Angel

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This is exactly what I'm worried about! The contract is like 30 pages of tiny text. How do I identify which charges are legitimate vs made up if they're using official-sounding names?

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Look for any line items labeled as "protection packages," "service contracts," "gap insurance," "appearance protection," or anything with "administrative" in the name. These are almost always optional but presented as required. Most legitimate charges have standard names like "sales tax," "registration fees," and "documentation fees" (though doc fees can be inflated). Request an itemized breakdown of exactly what makes up your $2000 payment. They're required to provide this. If they refuse, mention that you're considering reporting them to your state's attorney general office and the FTC for deceptive practices. That usually gets their attention quickly.

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Ezra Beard

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Have you checked your credit report? I had a similar situation where a dealership charged me double, and it turned out they had opened TWO separate financing accounts for the same vehicle! One was the agreed amount and the other was their "mistake" that they never closed. Worth looking into.

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This happened to my sister too! The dealership claimed it was an "accounting error" but had been collecting both payments for 4 months before she caught it. She had to threaten legal action to get refunded.

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On the tax side - if you use your vehicle for a side business, make sure you're tracking mileage with a dedicated app. You can deduct 65.5 cents per mile for business usage in 2023. With gas prices these days, that adds up! Just make sure you have proper documentation showing the business purpose of each trip.

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Aria Khan

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Does this apply if you're not fully self-employed? I use my car about 30% for a side gig but have a regular W-2 job too.

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Yes, it absolutely applies even if you're not fully self-employed! The business use of your vehicle for your side gig would be reported on Schedule C along with your other business expenses and income. You'd only deduct the percentage used for business - so in your case, you'd track all your mileage and then deduct 30% of it at the standard rate. Make sure you keep detailed records showing the date, starting point, destination, purpose, and mileage for each business trip. The IRS is particularly strict about vehicle deductions, so good documentation is essential. There are several good apps like MileIQ or Everlance that can help you track this automatically.

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