New Tax Credit For Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

Published on Nov 8, 2022 by Talia Mushinsky

In August 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a new tax credit for electric vehicles (EV). Drivers who purchased an EV or plug-in hybrids after December 31st, 2009, will be credited between $2,500 - $7,500. For this credit, qualified EVs are defined as “Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicles” such as passenger vehicles and light trucks. The basic details regarding these amounts can be found below.

Credit Amount	Qualification	Details
$2,500	Own an EV	Base credit
$417	5 KWh capacity battery	Minimum of 5 kilowatt hour capacity battery
$417	Over 5 KWh capacity battery	Additional credit added for every kilowatt over 5 hour capacity
$7,500	Own an EV	Credit limit

In addition to the EV Tax Credit, the Inflation Reduction Act was also passed in August 2022, further detailing which vehicles may qualify for the credit. The provisions in the new act will not only benefit North American consumers who purchase EVs, but also the manufacturers. Prior to the Inflation Reduction Act, manufacturers were limited to selling 200,000 EVs that could qualify for the tax credit to consumers. Thankfully, the new act has removed this limitation and has added new guidelines that consumers can benefit from, like the ones listed here.

More Qualifications For EV Tax Credit

Pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs priced below $80,000
Wagons, sedans, and other light vehicles priced below $55,000
Must be purchased on or after 12/31/09
Must be assembled in North America

Buyers for new EVs must meet income requirements
- Less than $300,000 household adjusted gross income
- Less than $225,000 head of household gross income
- Less than $150,000 individual gross income

Buyers for used EVs must meet income requirements
- Less than $150,000 household adjusted gross income
- Less than $112,500 head of household gross income
- Less than $75,000 for individual gross income

Used EV purchased from dealerships eligible for the lower amount of either $4,000 or 30% of sale price as tax credit

Changes Scheduled to Begin in 2024

To qualify for tax credit, EV components cannot be sourced from “foreign entities of concern” (ex. China, Russia, etc)
Dealerships will be permitted to offer consumers the tax credit up-front, at the time of purchase

Additional EV credits will vary by state. Visit your state’s government website to determine if there are more opportunities available.

For more information about which specific vehicles qualify for the IRS EV Tax Credit, click here.

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