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I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

 
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28 Replies
MayaD
Employee Tax Expert

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

The credit  for the charging station in a nonrefundable credit. A non-refundable tax credit is a tax credit that can only reduce a taxpayer's liability to zero. The credit can't be used to increase your tax refund or to create a tax refund when you wouldn't have already had one.

 

The following conditions must be met to qualify for this credit:
 - You started using the station in 2020.
 - You are the original owner of the station.
 - The station is used primarily in the United States.
 - The station is installed in your main home or business location.

Limitations of this credit - Personal Use

 - If your credit is bigger than what you owe in taxes, the taxes you owe are reduced to zero, and the rest of your credit is lost.
 

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I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

Thanks, I understand all that.  My issue is that Turbo tax cannot handle form 8936 and form 8911, both of which have to go on line 6 on schedule 3.  It should check box c and add both form numbers in the blank and enter the combined amount on line 6.  Instead it will only enter one.  Both the credits are valid credits and the amount of tax due is not an issue either.  This is a turbotax software issue, can you please correct it?  Thanks.

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

Just to further clarify, if I remove the credit for the Electric car, the credit for the charging station shows up, and the other way around.  This shows that both credits are valid, just that Turbo-tax cannot handle them both.

JeffreyR77
Expert Alumni

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

TurboTax does handle both credits. 

 

I recommend you delete both credits and re-enter first the vehicle credit and then the charging station credit. 

 

If you are using TurboTax Desktop you should save you return and close the software after you delete the credits. 

 

Then reopen the software and check for software updates before adding the credits.

 

Another explanation could be if you have any other nonrefundable tax credits, they may be being applied before the 8911 credit and there may not be any tax remaining for the 8911 credit to be applied to.

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

Sorry, I had already done that.  I am using premier on-line.  Just to verify, I deleted both credits, logged out saving my return.  I logged back in and entered the car, then the charger.  Did not work.  As I mentioned before, the issue is not having enough taxes to cover both the credits.  

Both credits are valid.  If I remove one the other gets applied.  My data says that turbo-tax cannot handle both credits.  Please help me understand why you claim that it can.  Is there another way to enter the credits?

JeffreyR77
Expert Alumni

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

I have tested your specific situation in TurboTax Premier Online and have no issues with both credits flowing through the program to the end of the tax return. 

 

I recommend you request Help from a TurboTax Live Agent that can use SmartLook to see what you are doing and aid you in troubleshooting to solve this problem.

 

  1. Select Help in the upper-right corner.
  2. Select Contact us.

 

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

No, you are incorrect.  Here is some data for you:

1.  Entered both the car and charger and it only showed me the car.

2.  I set the car to zero, and it showed me the charger.

3.  If I modify the car to something less (like $6000.00), then it shows me both.

You did not verify it properly.  You have a sub-routine which limits the total amount, contrary to the law.   Try entering a car credit of $7500, and a charger total cost of $1000.00 and see what you get.  I would love to see a copy of you schedule 3 showing $7800 in total credit.

Please ask someone with authority to fix the software.  I called and the level2 software person brushed me off with a non-usable solution.  

Not a happy customer.

 

 

 

 

 

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

I can confirm I am having this exact same problem.  No matter what I do, I cannot get both credits even though I should be eligible.

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

@JeffreyR77  Please can you check on this again.  I'm having the same problem - it appears to be a glitch.  I can't use the live tax service without paying for it, which is not acceptable if this is in fact a problem with the software.

 

Thanks,

Andrew

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

Hello @JeffreyR77  and Andrewjoslyn,

 

Yes, this is an error in the program.  I now know what the exact error is, however after repeated calls no one at TT  was willing to correct it.  I redid my tax return by hand.

Really disappointed in TT.

AnnetteB6
Employee Tax Expert

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

There are a couple of things that can cause the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit to be reduced to zero.

 

First, the credit is non-refundable and you must have a tax liability in order to take advantage of the credit.  Also, the calculation of possible Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is involved in the calculation of the credit and may reduce it to zero.  

 

There is a tentative minimum tax for AMT that is calculated in the background as your return is completed.  Form 8911 compares that tentative minimum tax to the net regular tax after certain other credits have been taken into account.  If the tentative minimum tax is greater than the net regular tax, then the Form 8911 credit is disallowed.  

 

Take a look at your Form 8911, lines 16, 17, and 18.  If line 17 is greater than line 16, then your personal credit for Form 8911 will be disallowed.  

 

@andrewjoslyn

 

 

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I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

Thanks for this response.  This does appear to be the issue in my case.  I had no idea until now that this was something that prevent me from getting the tax credit.  It seems that this will be the case for a lot of people who buy an EV and also install a charger in the same year.  Seems counterintuitive ...  oh well.  Thanks again.

Tashi_1
New Member

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

I'm having the same issue, I guess that makes sense, but still sux 😒

TrentJA
Returning Member

I bought an electric car and installed a charging station in 2020. Turbo tax gives me the tax credit for the car but not the charging station. Why?

Did anyone find a solution to this? I'm having the same problem this year? 

 

My car credit does push me into refund territory but it doesn't wipe out my entire tax burden so I should be able to take both credits, right?  

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