The $33 Million IRS Mistake!
It is not quite sure how some owners of vehicles from Dodge Dealers Kingwood thought that their gas guzzler qualified for a fuel efficiency tax credit, but they did. Because of errors by approximately 14,000 tax payers, the IRS is doing an audit for the entire lot of car credits filed. They will be checking to see when those vehicles at Ford Dealers Texas were produced to make sure that the ones that are actually correct for the credit match up with the dates that were followed. It is understandable that some of the fuel efficient cars, such as the Focus from Huntsville Ford, might get mixed up in the error. The Ford Focus has great fuel efficiency and perhaps those owners thought that the tax credit was applicable based on miles per gallon. That is understandable, but, claiming a Dodge Durango, Cadillac Escalade, and Hummer H3 are by no means fuel efficient, and now this audit is going to cost tax payers additional money.
The tax credits are currently in place for electric or alternative fuel vehicles, and the vehicles that fall under that category are far fewer than they have been in prior years. While the Toyota Prius used to come with a handsome tax credit for owners, it no longer qualifies. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration performed an audit and discovered that 20% of these credits were erroneously filed. That equates to $33 million worth of tax credits going to people who should not have gotten them. The IRS will be busy trying to correct the problems, and these credits are meant solely for electric vehicles.
Interestingly enough, there were 88 incarcerated prisoners who claimed they had purchased electric plug-in vehicles and ended up getting $155,000 worth of credits. When you figure that the government is offering $7,500 for people who buy the Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf and their forms don’t provide proper documentation to prove ownership, people are very tempted to fudge the truth on their taxes. However, now that these errors have come to light, you can expect more stringent documentation and the IRS plans on adding a line on tax forms for the VIN and the internet tax databases will be updated sooner rather than later.
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GM Closes 500 Dealerships
Why is it that General Motors still isn’t experiencing the sales growth that places like Infiniti Boston Norwood are? In recent months, sales have increased by around 10% for most auto brands, but GM has only experienced 6% growth. They recently announced that if you were planning on using a Chicago Bad Credit Auto Loan to purchase your new GM vehicle that you would have a smaller selection of stores to choose from. That is because more than 500 dealerships closed up shop at the end of October, an action that has been in the making since GM filed for bankruptcy back in Spring 2009. The decreased amount of dealerships should not affect the business at Buick GMC Dealer Birmingham.
The dealership closures are the result of the Obama administration and a stipulation of the government bailout. There were a total of 2,039 dealerships that were labeled to be closed during the bankruptcy terms, and very few remain open of that original number today. Some lawmakers in Congress oppose the closure, saying that the economy is strengthening back up and there is no reason to close so many businesses and lose so many employees. Plus, if these dealerships are soon to be allowed to reopen, think of the image they will have to rebuild for themselves.
GM dealerships that are nearby the ones that have closed report an increase in sales. It is hard to say whether or not that increase in sales comes from a recovering economy or from a lack of competition. Either way, an increase in sales and profit is great for the dealerships who survived the effects of the bankruptcy. Also, remember that Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer were all under the GM family umbrella and those brands are no longer in production. Those loyal shoppers are likely to turn to other GM products in the future.
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Where is Your Car Built?
For a country that is trying to get back on its economic feet, it is entirely frustrating to learn that not even the cars at Alexandria Chevrolet are 100% made in America. It used to be so obvious which cars were from America (Chevy, GM, Ford) and which cars were imported, like the Japanese cars from Virginia Nissan Service. Now that the auto industry has become a truly global market, there is not one single vehicle that is being produced today that is 100% American made.
What is even more frustrating is that some of the popular cars from Hyundai Dealership Springfield might be more American than some of our favorite Ford models. That is because parts are manufactured all over the world (China, Mexico, France, etc) and then they are assembled at various plants across the globe. The American auto companies are also known as the Big 3 (Chrysler, Ford, General Motors) and they have expanded their production so much that they have factories all across the globe. It makes sense to assemble the vehicle near the region it will be sold to cut back on shipping costs for the final product.
Likewise, many import companies have set up shop on our soil. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota are just a few of the examples that have assembly plants in the U.S. Not all of the “Big 3” auto brands are even built on U.S. soil, yet they are sold here and lead us to believe that by purchasing them we are helping our own economy. Ford outsources the assembly of the Fiesta, Fusion, Edge, Flex, to Mexico and Canada, as well as Lincoln’s MKX, MKT, and MKZ models. GM assembles the Camaro, Impala, Equinox, and Terrain in Mexico and Canada. For Chrysler, they are proud that 61% of their parts comes from the U.S. and only the Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger are built in Canada or Mexico.
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New Crash Test Scores Will Lead to Confusion
As much as we have to learn to accept change, the fact that the NHTSA has changed their crash test ratings is a bit annoying. Just because so many cars at Buy New Car Millington and other dealerships across the country were earning perfect 5-star ratings more often than not does not mean that it is time to completely change the whole scoring system. Car makers are continually working hard to create technology that helps drivers avoid collisions and trips to Body Shop Columbus, and there is plenty of statistical data to show that Americans have less fatal accidents now than ever before.
What will be more frustrating to consumers is that their beloved car from a place like Healy Ford might have gotten 5-stars for the 2010 model year but now will only earn 4-stars. Consumers look at data superficially a lot of the time, and they might not realize that 4-stars is still a great score and that the 2011 model is likely just as safe, if not more so, than the 2010 model. Consumers need to remember that as the new scores are becoming publicized and places aren’t getting the highest possible score anymore does not mean that they are not producing safe cars and you should definitely still shop there.
As of right now, the NHTSA has tested 34 of the 2011 model cars. Only two (the BMW 5-Series and Hyundai Sonata) received a perfect overall score of 5-stars. The Nissan Versa earned 2-stars, the Toyota Camry earned 3-stars, and 22 other models have earned 4-stars. The new tests incorporate crash test dummies of different sizes to better represent what would happen to the occupants of a vehicle in a collision rather than using one size dummy. Additionally, there is a side-pole crash test that will go hand-in-hand with the side impact crash information to help engineers better improve the structure of the vehicle to protect its occupants.
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Sunshine Laws and Your State
Sunshine laws require that your local government to act in an open and transparent fashion. This is really a confusing issue to many local governments and many times consumers will be met with resistance. I personally am meeting resistance with the Camden County Georgia School Board and will probably have to exercise my rights under State law to get them to provide me with the requested information.
If you are facing issues with your local government or public body you have many rights in almost all States. One thing you want to do is to follow the procedures that are outlined by the law if you meet any resistance when requesting information or access to meetings by governing boards. Remember that our government is here to serve us and it is not an inverse relationship.
Just like what I am facing with the Camden County School Board you to may be met with resistance but if you stay the course they will have to provide you with the information requested.
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Red Light Cameras: Yay or Nay?
As citizens of this country, there is a certain amount of blind faith that we put in our government to protect us. But what if some of the laws and regulations that are in effect actually end up doing more harm than good? Here is a scenario to ponder: you are pulling out of Brandon Chevrolet Dealer after just buying your new car and get pulled over by the police for speeding. They then find that you don’t have current registration and hassle you about that, but you just got the car and you haven’t gotten your registration in the mail yet. This is a mild scenario, but still it happens and is frustrating for consumers. What about those pesky red light offense cameras that several cities have installed? You are driving in your new car from Nissan New York when the light changes quickly to red and then you receive a ticket in the mail. Maybe you did or didn’t run the red light, but in this economy is it right for cities to be scraping every cent out of their citizens in this manner?
Having recently gotten one of these red light tickets, I can tell you first hand how infuriating the process was. The traffic court was full of other drivers there to contest their tickets, some driving cars from Acura Pittsburgh. One woman was contesting her ticket because she stopped at the red light but then inched out to see if she could safely make a right turn; the camera interpreted this as running the light. She contested and won, but the judge cautioned her to stop at the line next time and stay there.
What is even more interesting is that some cities have begun removing their red light cameras because the revenue from tickets decreased as people became more aware of their locations and thus changed their driving habits. We can all appreciate efforts to make the streets safer for all, but is this really the right way to do it?
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Electric Cars Will Keep Trying!
Chevrolet Sarasota has likely been busy fielding calls and inquiries from anxious consumers regarding the release of the electric car, Chevy Volt. As our nation continues to acknowledge our dependency on oil, catastrophes like the Gulf oil spill make us a bit more anxious to find a solution to our need for fossil fuels. VW Arizona dealerships have their popular diesel engine to offer as an alternative, and their hybrid Jetta has yet to be released to the public. Good thing for Fort Lauderdale Cascadia Dealers, whose primary inventory is commercial grade trucks, they won’t have to worry about hybrid competition because that concept hasn’t even been toyed around with yet!
The main electric cars dominating the news headlines recently include the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Roadster, and aforementioned Chevy Volt. With all the hype about these vehicles, how come we don’t see more of them driving around yet? If America is trying so hard to go green and stop our oil dependency, why aren’t these vehicles more available to the general public?
Since opening shop in 2008, only 1,000 of the Tesla Roadsters are out on the road today. That could be in part because of its high sticker price of around $105,000. Some consumers are concerned about buying an electric car because what happens when their battery dies? Is there going to be a charging station nearby or are they going to have to call AAA for a tow? Until a product is tried and true tested, American consumers remain cautious.
Tesla boasts that its Roadster can drive about 245 miles before needing a charge. Just like estimated fuel economy, these figures are totally dependent on road and weather conditions, as well as how the driver drives and maintains their vehicle. Nissan Leaf drivers can expect a smaller ticket price and will get about 100 miles to a charge.
Some third party companies have talked about installing major networks along major routes to offer drivers a place to quickly recharge their vehicles. Government agencies have proposed numerous bills about how to make electric cars a reality, but nothing has been finalized yet. Talks include tax credits for people who have charging stations in their homes and large grants to install facilities on well-traveled routes.
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California: New HOV Restrictions
The California State Government is taking an interesting approach at trying to persuade car shoppers to buy certain low emission vehicles. There is not one model that you can find at Peoria Volkswagen that will let you drive solo in the carpool lanes in that state. And while for years and years, solo drivers of the Prius which is sold at Toyota Lexington for example were welcomed in the HOV lanes. Now, one of the most expensive and crowded states to live in the whole country is changing the legislature regarding solo drivers in the HOV lane. No longer will hybrid vehicle drivers be allowed in the carpool lanes unless they are legitimately carpooling. That means more business for Kansas City used car loans as people are likely to trade in their hybrids and opt for one of the newer electric car models with record low emission rates.
California has plenty of traffic and bumper-to-bumper rush-hour congestion records! Thus, the state has over 1,300 miles of carpool lanes. Legislation has recently been extended for four years so that solo drivers of ultra-low emission vehicles are rewarded by using the carpool lane until January 1, 2015. This law is going to help electric vehicles get a sales boost, as having access to the carpool lane is a huge selling tactic. There are five other states currently with similar legislation.
The new legislation is termed Assembly Bill 1500 and approved vehicles receive a white sticker that says “Clean Air Vehicle.” This new white sticker replaces the previously yellow sticker that was part of previous legislation. That previous legislation also allowed solo drivers of the Honda Civic hybrid, the Honda Insight, and the Toyota Prius to use carpool lanes. Approximately 85,000 vehicle owners will have to use the regular lanes while driving as of December 31, 2010; unless they do what is anticipated and slightly expected of them and they upgrade an electric vehicle, such as the Honda FCX Clarity. There is currently a bill on the table that would extend the solo privilege to plug-in charging vehicles, like the Chevrolet Volt, but it has yet to be approved and finalized.
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Businesses Mocked by the Glynn County Board of Commsioners
By: Paul Rushing
“Say it ain’t so, say it ain’t so” cried Glynn County Commissioner Tony Thaw, when given the floor to address the citizens and businesses of Glynn County Georgia. This was an attempt to show outrage and to mock local press releases issued by an Automobile Dealer for calling the commission out on passing an unconstitutional law restricting the number of US Flags that can be flown in Glynn County, which he spearheaded.
He was not the only commissioner that took the opportunity to denigrate freedoms Read more
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Glynn County Electrician Causing Static
By: Paul Rushing
A prominent business man and county commisioner in Glynn County Georgia, Tony Thaw, owner of Thaw’s Electric Service has come forward to decry all of the recent hoopla about Glynn County’s unconstitutional flag ordinance.
In statements made to the Brunswick News he claims that the public outcry of recent Glynn County Code Enforcement Division citations is just a publicity stunt by the affected businesses to attract more customers. Having first hand knowledge of of the situation I know for a fact that is not the case.
