Lets discuss TX 152.090 sales tax exemption

[pete8314]

Well, nothing exciting to report so far. I handed over all the paperwork and supporting documentation, and after much reviewing (including going back to the manager's office, and several phone calls) the jury is still out, they're referring it to the Comptroller. Everyone was perfectly nice about everything, but the managers view was that since the Tesla documentation makes no reference to the car being hydrogen capable, and there's no official line from Tesla, then she cannot make the decision. I should hear something in a day or two...

 

[Boourns]

Were you registering for the first time or requesting a refund?

 

[pete8314]

First time.

 

[ishop4more]

I understand this didn't work at several Harris County offices, but it has been reported to have worked at least twice at the Tomball location of the Harris County office.

 

[Softwizard]

I'm going in tomorrow (Tarrant County/Southlake Tax office)....will let you know....

Any luck?

 

[pete8314]

No, or at least not yet, see above....I'll try to call tomorrow.

 

[pete8314]

Denied :-(

They said they'd give me the forms to appeal, so I'll take that route and see where it goes.

 

[Boourns]

Did they give a written explanation?

 

[pete8314]

No, just that the Comptroller's office denied the exemption.

 

[Cattledog]

No, just that the Comptroller's office denied the exemption.

To whom do you appeal?

 

[pete8314]

There's a 'form'; I'll get it when I go pay the tax, I'm out of time to get that done today though.

 

[Pale_Rider]

I'm going to give this a go in Galveston county in a couple weeks when I get my registration paperwork. Fingers crossed.

Chris

 

[pete8314]

I paid my tax, then promptly wrote to the Comptroller in Austin with all the same information; that was 3 weeks ago, no reply so far....

 

[Rockster]

Still no reply from Austin to my refund request, submitted mid July.

 

[pete8314]

Got my reply....denied....see attached pdf.

 

[Pale_Rider]

Got my reply....denied....see attached pdf.

So they completely ignored the "hydrogen capable" provision in their response. I am about to try this out in Galveston county and am going to try to hammer home that provision of the expemption. I am an engineer at NASA and I'll slap my explaination on NASA letterhead if need be for added effect. I may dig up the guys who managed the fuel cells on shuttle as well. I doubt I'll be any more effective than you were but I'm just annoyed now. Lol

Chris

 

[Rockster]

Same here. Same letter. I'm regrouping for another run at them during my 30-day appeal period (six days of which passed while the letter traveled from Austin to Dallas).

Gang, I think we need to work together, offline, to pool our resources and prepare the best appeal. I'm sure we all have great information/data to contribute. Feel free to start a conversation with we Texas people who are interested in appealing the decision.

 

[pete8314]

I agree. Didn't I read somewhere that someone had better success using an attorney? @Pale_Rider is right, 'hydrogen capable' is the the crux of appeal, nothing else. Clearly the wording in TX 152.090 should have been tighter, but it's not.

 

[pete8314]

Having re-read the entire thread, there's a few more options to provide evidence that it's hydrogen capable...

@Chris TX here you mentioned demo'ing the option on a YouTube video, were you able to make any progress? I'd be happy to chip in in terms of hydrogen, video production, etc!

@Rockster Can you shake the tree for a university professor?

 

[Rockster]

I'm shaking the tree this afternoon with a phone call to a connected friend.

Also, I'm quite willing to make a road trip to the hydrogen fuel cell company in KS that has a photo online of their Tesla Model S charging. I included a photo and description of this in my submission but there's nothing more compelling than a video showing "dead Model S > Plug into stationary fuel cell > Model S drives away."

The distinction here, in addition to "hydrogen power capable" is that batteries don't power a car, despite the common usage of the term. Batteries store energy, they don't create it. Our Teslas are being powered by whatever puts energy in the battery: solar, natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, coal, etc. In the same way, the hydrogen powered car is not directly consuming hydrogen to propel itself: the fuel cell is consuming hydrogen to produce electricity that is stored in the hydrogen car's onboard battery that then supplies power to the motor. The hydrogen car's battery is smaller than ours, but that's just because a car with onboard hydrogen requires a smaller buffer between energy source and the motor than a car like ours that's powered using hydrogen that's in a stationary fuel cell external to the vehicle.