Federal tax rebate for the Leaf

[desiv]

Given a level playing field, who would buy used over new?

Perhaps those who can't come up with the pre-tax credit money up front?

desiv

 

[thankyouOB]

Well we aren't "very rich" We both have normal bay area jobs, have a normal 3 bedroom 2.5 bath house. Normal write offs for mortgage, taxes, etc... and we still run into AMT. Sounds to me like this targets the middle class, not the rich. I am inches away from getting the hell out of this ridiculous state. It's just absurd how much we pay in taxes in CA.

if you really want to argue that you arent "very rich", and to trash California because it taxes you too much, you really will not get much sympathy unless you give your approximate income; perhaps, even support that argument with the taxes you pay.
i would suspect your house can be sold for at least 950k and your combined income is >250k.

 

[desiv]

if you really want to argue that you arent "very rich", you need to give your approximate income.

Or we could agree that different people define different income levels differently, and not worry about class bickering???

Left Shark wouldn't care.... :roll: :lol:

desiv

 

[tkdbrusco]

Well we aren't "very rich" We both have normal bay area jobs, have a normal 3 bedroom 2.5 bath house. Normal write offs for mortgage, taxes, etc... and we still run into AMT. Sounds to me like this targets the middle class, not the rich. I am inches away from getting the hell out of this ridiculous state. It's just absurd how much we pay in taxes in CA.

if you really want to argue that you arent "very rich", and to trash California because it taxes you too much, you really will not get much sympathy unless you give your approximate income; perhaps, even support that argument with the taxes you pay.
i would suspect your house can be sold for at least 950k and your combined income is >250k.

My house is not worth that much and I don't make that much. But I won't humor you with specifics. And I don't need your sympathy. Our tax code is way too complicated and taxes in CA are way too high. That's a fact. I shouldn't need both a financial adviser and a CPA to figure out how to do my taxes. That's insanity.

Oh and if I made as much as you said above, I'd move the hell out of this state because then I'd have to pay even more to the government. The Leaf is my big FU to them. A big HAHA, I got $10,000 of my money back!

 

[thankyouOB]

my apologies to you then.
too many folks claim middle-class status these days, when they really want a platform to complain about taxes. You arent, so please accept my apology.
that is not to say it is easy to live, save for kids' costs and retirement, while paying taxes.
the leaf is a good answer to saving and being environmentally conscious, especially when coupled with solar.
it is not a short-term break even, but it does break even.

I was very happy to get the federal rebate and actually had to add income that year -- by moving money from IRA to ROTH -- so that I could get back the entire $7500. I have never seen the AMT.

 

[tkdbrusco]

my apologies to you then.
too many folks claim middle-class status these days, when they really want a platform to complain about taxes. You arent, so please accept my apology.
that is not to say it is easy to live, save for kids' costs and retirement, while paying taxes.
the leaf is a good answer to saving and being environmentally conscious, especially when coupled with solar.
it is not a short-term break even, but it does break even.

I was very happy to get the federal rebate and actually had to add income that year -- by moving money from IRA to ROTH -- so that I could get back the entire $7500. I have never seen the AMT.

No worries. For the record, the AMT can start kicking in as low as $157K for a married couple. Not a huge amount of money when you live in Silicon Valley.

 

[RonDawg]

here is a 2015 leaf S with under 2k miles for 18,xxx. it already went down about 12k from the msrp when you count the destination charge. you can probably get it for 17 and change if you negotiate. so lets compare. 30k new after 7500 2500 3500 =13500 deductions. thats 16500. add 1k for sales tax on the extra 12k you will pay for new compared to used and you get 17500. sure, you come out a little ahead compared to the used one in the link, but only if you get the extra 3500 from nissan. without that you are better off buying used. here is the link http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=89169&endYear=2015&modelCode1=LEAF&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&showcaseOwnerId=48754694&startYear=2015&makeCode1=NISSAN&listingType=used&listingTypes=used%2Ccertified&searchRadius=0&mmt=%5BNISSAN%5BLEAF%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=391817594&Log=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing you have to be careful of with almost-new used cars is that they could be Lemon Law buybacks. Don't count on CarFax to catch that either, because depending on state they may not have had their titles branded as such if the manufacturer voluntarily (as opposed to being ordered to do so by a court) refunds your money and takes the car off your hands. And being a used car, you aren't covered by Lemon Law anymore.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/how-carfax-doesnt-protect-you-from-buying-a-used-lemon-1653942445" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[evboy]

here is a 2015 leaf S with under 2k miles for 18,xxx. it already went down about 12k from the msrp when you count the destination charge. you can probably get it for 17 and change if you negotiate. so lets compare. 30k new after 7500 2500 3500 =13500 deductions. thats 16500. add 1k for sales tax on the extra 12k you will pay for new compared to used and you get 17500. sure, you come out a little ahead compared to the used one in the link, but only if you get the extra 3500 from nissan. without that you are better off buying used. here is the link http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=89169&endYear=2015&modelCode1=LEAF&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&showcaseOwnerId=48754694&startYear=2015&makeCode1=NISSAN&listingType=used&listingTypes=used%2Ccertified&searchRadius=0&mmt=%5BNISSAN%5BLEAF%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=391817594&Log=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing you have to be careful of with almost-new used cars is that they could be Lemon Law buybacks. Don't count on CarFax to catch that either, because depending on state they may not have had their titles branded as such if the manufacturer voluntarily (as opposed to being ordered to do so by a court) refunds your money and takes the car off your hands. And being a used car, you aren't covered by Lemon Law anymore.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/how-carfax-doesnt-protect-you-from-buying-a-used-lemon-1653942445" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks. looks like i will have to look for manufacturer sold at auction. the spark ev i was looking at that had under 1k miles was a lease, so maybe the guy lost his job and had to dump it a few months after buying. I guess thats why people buy new cars instead of used. they dont mind taking the depreciation hit knowing it has no accident issues. i have bought used for the last 20 years and havent had a problem, so i have been lucky in that regard, and saved alot of money.never bought anything other than state liability insurance for 20 years.

 

[tkdbrusco]

The leaf was the first new car I have ever purchased. The only reason I did was because the rebates made it too cheap.

 

[evboy]

here is a 2015 leaf S with under 2k miles for 18,xxx. it already went down about 12k from the msrp when you count the destination charge. you can probably get it for 17 and change if you negotiate. so lets compare. 30k new after 7500 2500 3500 =13500 deductions. thats 16500. add 1k for sales tax on the extra 12k you will pay for new compared to used and you get 17500. sure, you come out a little ahead compared to the used one in the link, but only if you get the extra 3500 from nissan. without that you are better off buying used. here is the link http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=89169&endYear=2015&modelCode1=LEAF&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&showcaseOwnerId=48754694&startYear=2015&makeCode1=NISSAN&listingType=used&listingTypes=used%2Ccertified&searchRadius=0&mmt=%5BNISSAN%5BLEAF%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=391817594&Log=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing you have to be careful of with almost-new used cars is that they could be Lemon Law buybacks. Don't count on CarFax to catch that either, because depending on state they may not have had their titles branded as such if the manufacturer voluntarily (as opposed to being ordered to do so by a court) refunds your money and takes the car off your hands. And being a used car, you aren't covered by Lemon Law anymore.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/how-carfax-doesnt-protect-you-from-buying-a-used-lemon-1653942445" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ron, do you think this used spark ev is one of these lemon law cars. It says manufacturer owned sold at auction.no wonder this spark has been on autotrader for a good 3 months. take a look: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?make=CHEV&vin=-83%7C-44%7C-72%7C-60%7C93%7C-24%7C-102%7C80%7C-116%7C17%7C103%7C-101%7C62%7C-125%7C-70%7C-81%7C-68%7C46%7C19%7C-37%7C-121%7C-57%7C71%7C0%7C&dealer_id=99693&car_id=385875370&partner=ATD_U" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[RonDawg]

Ron, do you think this used spark ev is one of these lemon law cars. It says manufacturer owned sold at auction.no wonder this spark has been on autotrader for a good 3 months. take a look: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?make=CHEV&vin=-83%7C-44%7C-72%7C-60%7C93%7C-24%7C-102%7C80%7C-116%7C17%7C103%7C-101%7C62%7C-125%7C-70%7C-81%7C-68%7C46%7C19%7C-37%7C-121%7C-57%7C71%7C0%7C&dealer_id=99693&car_id=385875370&partner=ATD_U" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Could very well be. The red flag for me is how a car titled originally as a commercial vehicle is 8 months later a "manufacturer" vehicle. Business-owned vehicles also qualify under CA's Lemon Law if the car in question has a GVWR of under 10k pounds and the owning entity has a maximum of 5 such vehicles registered in this state. The fact that a car being used as a commercial vehicle only racked up 900-some odd miles in those 8 months really is making me wonder.

If you are looking at CA used cars, note that Lemon Law only applies during the first 18 months or 18k miles from new purchase or lease, whichever comes first. I don't know what the cutoff is in other states.