Question: Do federal EV credits apply to used cars? Please update information about the federal tax credits. I am thinking of buying my grandson a used car.
Answer: Yes, certain used electric vehicles purchased this year from licensed dealers will be eligible for a federal “used clean vehicle tax credit” of up to $4,000, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The vehicle must be at least 2 years old and sell used for less than $25,000. Income restrictions apply to the buyer (the maximum income is $150,000 if filing jointly or $75,000 if filing alone). A buyer cannot claim this credit more than once every three years and cannot claim this credit if they are a dependent on someone else’s tax return. So, for example, the purchase would need to be in your name, not your grandson’s, assuming that he is still a dependent. For details, including links to an index of qualified manufacturers and previously owned vehicles, click on 808ne.ws/used or go to irs.gov and search for “used clean vehicle credit.” To answer another reader’s question, no, you can’t claim this particular credit on an EV you bought used in 2022, the IRS says.
As for new EVs, on Dec. 29 the IRS also updated its website with information about federal tax credits for new clean vehicles purchased in 2023, the rules of which were changed by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. People who buy a new plug-in electric vehicle or fuel-cell vehicle may qualify for a clean vehicle tax credit of up to $7,500. For detailed information, including links to lists of qualified vehicles, see IRS Fact Sheet 2022-42, Topics A, B and C, at irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2022-42.pdf.
The fact sheet, under other topic headings, also has FAQs about clean vehicle credits for previously owned and commercial vehicles.
Q: Regarding getting a passport online, can you get the passport card that way, or only the book?
A: It’s possible to renew passport cards online, as well as passport books, but you have to be renewing the same type of document you already have. You also can add the second type at the time of renewal. So, for example, if you have a passport book and want to renew to receive both a passport book and a passport card, you can do so online, assuming that you are otherwise eligible. However, you cannot renew online “if you have a passport book and want a passport card only, or, if you have a passport card and want a passport book only,” according to travel.state.gov, the website for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Question: How far in advance can you renew online?
Answer: Your 10-year U.S. passport must be expiring within one year or have been expired for less than five years, according to the website.
Auwe
Firecrackers are traditional in Hawaii. Professional-grade explosive aerial shows launched from crowded residential neighborhoods are not what old-timers like me remember. — Lifelong resident
Mahalo
I want to give a big mahalo to Danielle, who was shopping at Longs Ala Moana on Dec. 23. When I got to Longs to pick up some pies on sale, there were only three left. So I grabbed two of them, and was relieved I was in time for all to enjoy the dessert at the family Christmas party. When I was ready to pay, I reached for my wallet, but it wasn’t there; I had no way to pay. Danielle, a complete stranger, overheard my predicament. Without hesitation she whipped out her credit card and said, “I’ll pay it.” Those were expensive pies! My protests were to no avail. Truly, she was an angel sent to bless me and my family at Christmas. To Danielle, may you have a gratifying and enriching 2023. Happy New Year from a very blessed senior citizen. — Nancy
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
