Trying to claim credit for a home charger for electric vehicles

[Tax Prep by Deb]

I am having a terrible time trying to get my client the credit for putting in a home charger for his electric vehicles.  Drake only seems to want to populate the Schedule A of form 8911.  It clearly shows the credit but will not populate the actual form 8911 and transfer the credit to schedule 3 per the instructions.  My client is an individual, he is not transferring the credit to anyone else, simply wants to claim it on his return.

Am I missing something?

[jklcpa]

I got it to fill in Sch 3, line 6j by entering all of this input:

• Go to screen 8911 and fill in T,S,J,
• line 2a needs an entry. I entered "taxpayer main home",
• then continue through with entries for actual home address and owner's TIN in the appropriate boxes
• Entries for lines # 4 and 5 - enter dates began and placed in service
• Either line 6b or 6d - I HAD to enter a census tract GEOID on one of these lines and check the box to the right that indicates which appendix that number is located. It would not calculate or populate the credit without this information. I think that is located in the the form 8911 instructions with a link there to those Appendices.
• Line 8 - enter the cost of the refueling property
• Line 9 - if this is entirely personal use, enter ZERO
• line 11 - I left this blank assuming if it was all personal use there would not be any sec 179 deduction
• Line 17 - be sure to check the box to indicate the property where this is installed is the taxpayer's main home

With all of this entered, it created the form 8911 with Part II filled in and also created form 8911,Sch A with parts I and III completed and also the cost of refueling property on line 8 of part II.  This is everything I had to enter for a credit to calculate and flow to the correct line on Sch 3 of the 1040.  I haven't filed one of these for any client, so judge for yourself if these entries and results are appropriate for your client's situation.

The 8911 will transmit, and appears that Sch A has to be attached as a pdf, but Drake has that completed and should create the pdf for you to attach in View/Print mode.

Hope this helps.
 

[Tax Prep by Deb]

This is exactly they way I entered the info however it will not create the form 8911 only the Schedule A.  It will not carry to the 1040.  I sent the file to Drake, but have not hear back anything yet.  Odd that your's worked but mine will not.  Maybe I will delete and start over.  Thank you!

[jklcpa]

Did you have the little box checked to the right of either line 6b or 6d? And the check box filled in at the very bottom to indicate main home?

Mine didn't work without those.

It seemed that if any one little piece was missing, it wouldn't work.

[Tax Prep by Deb]

Yes,

I even deleted the form and started completely over and still nothing.  Still waiting to hear back from Drake.  I printed out your instructions and looked at what I had and everything you did is what I had.  It creates the schedule A just not the actual form and doesn't carry the credit over to schedule 3.  Even if his income disqualified him I would expect some sort of worksheet to show me that, but absolutely nothing except the schedule A  and yes he does live in the right geographical area by using the 2020 census information and checking that it shows up in apendix b.

[jklcpa]

Well, it could also be one of these:

1. The credit is limited to the regular tax, so if he had no tax, then no credit.  Or if tax was less than the credit, then the credit is limited to the tax.
2. Another thing that could be happening to some taxpayers is if the tentative minimum tax from 6251 is more than the regular tax on the 1040, then it appears that the personal portion of the credit is NOT allowed, and line 9 of the form 8911 says "do not file this form" unless there is also a credit on line 3, and line 3 would be the business portion of the credit. 

Would any of that be a reason that your form isn't being produced?

ETA - I tested #2 above by entering enough AMT income to create that situation on one of Drake's test returns. Once tentative minimum tax on the 6251 exceeded the regular tax, Drake no longer produced the 8911 but the 8911 Sch A remained in the return and showed the credit on line 21 of that schedule, but it did not flow to the 1040 Sch 3, and no credit was allowed.

 

Edited February 28 by jklcpa
Actually tested #2 myself in Drake

[Tax Prep by Deb]

I don't know when it happened, but now the form is populating and you are 100% correct in the AMT having a bearing on this as well as he has a carry over of unused credit from solar from last year which also figures into this.  So at least I see the whole form and can now explain to my client why he will not be receiving the credit.  Thank You so much for running the scenerios for me, it is truly appreciated!