How to Get the Federal EV Tax Credit After It Expires

• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was supposed to kill the EV tax credit.
• But there's a new loophole that will let you take possession of your car after September 30 and still get the $7,500.
• Here is a full list of cars that will soon lose eligibility for the credit.

When President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law, the federal EV tax credit — which gave prospective EV buyers up to $7,500 off the purchase price of an eligible EV — was killed. The last day you can claim the tax credit is September 30, 2025. But according to the Internal Revenue Service, there is a way to get the credit after the deadline.

The FAQ section of the IRS' website recently cleared up questions around the end of certain energy credits. This line, however, picked from seceztion 3, reveals that "if a taxpayer acquires a vehicle by having a written binding contract in place and a payment made on or before September 30, 2025, then the taxpayer will be entitled to claim the credit when they place the vehicle in service (namely, when they take possession of the vehicle), even if the vehicle is placed in service after September 30, 2025."

That's a long-winded way of saying there is a way to acquire a car after the deadline and still get the tax credit. What you have to do as the buyer is sign a contract certifying your purchase and make a payment on the vehicle before the 30th. You can then claim the credit once the vehicle "enters service." In other words, once it's in your driveway. 

Let's say, for example, you place an order for a new Tesla Model Y — like the one we currently have in our One-Year Road Test fleet — before September 30, but it doesn't arrive until mid-November. Because you signed a contract and put money toward it before the deadline, the EV tax credit will still apply. 

It's unclear how long this rule applies for. However, the IRS also notes that "taxpayers should receive a time of sale report from the dealer at the time they take possession or within three days of taking possession of the vehicle." Keep that in mind if you plan on buying an EV before the deadline and taking possession of it later on to make use of this loophole.