Tax return rejected because of Electric vehicle credit info

[Rsantangelo]

I filed my taxes with Form 8936 to claim $7,500 tax credit for a car I bought in Sept 2024.   The error message received was "SA-F8936-048 - The e-File database indicates this vehicle was not purchased during the tax period of the return."

I checked the VIN several times and it is correct.   For the first submittal,  I didn't check the box "By checking this box I certify the above VIN is correct."  Then I read the Why Am I Being Asked to Certify my VIN? which clearly says:
If you have been rejected for e-file due to a VIN number mismatch with the IRS database, you may check the box for the program to generate an e-file attachment stating "I certify the VIN number is correct". This will allow the tax return to be e-filed.

After checking the box, I submitted again, but it was still rejected.

What do I do?

[Vanessa A]

This is happening to many people when the dealer did not turn in the paperwork on their end. When you purchased the vehicle, the dealer was supposed to do a time of sale report and submit it to the IRS.   If they did not do this, then your VIN is not in the system for the credit.  You can contact your dealer to see if they did submit the paperwork they were required to submit for you to claim the credit and if they did verify the info they provided to the IRS.

You may want to try printing and mailing your return along with a copy of your bill of sale and purchase agreement and any other documentation along with the dealer info to see if the credit is then processed.  This may allow you to claim the credit, but there is no guarantee that it will if the dealer did not do the time of sale report.