WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) cannot verify whether individuals

claiming a Qualified Motor Vehicle (QMV) deduction are entitled to the deduction at the time

their tax returns are processed, according to a new report from the Treasury Inspector General for

Tax Administration (TIGTA).

TIGTA found that individuals do not have to provide any third-party documentation to support

that they actually purchased a qualified motor vehicle and, if a qualified vehicle was purchased,

the amount paid in sales and excise taxes.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides individuals with a QMV deduction,

which is an additional deduction for State sales tax and excise tax on the purchase of automobiles

and light trucks purchased after February 16, 2009, and before January 1, 2010. The QMV

deduction expired December 31, 2009.

TIGTA reviewed the effectiveness of the IRS's efforts to identify individuals erroneously

claiming a QMV deduction.

Based on a review of a statistically valid sample of 150 individuals who were allowed a QMV

deduction of less than the amount the IRS considers excessive, it appears that some individuals

may have erroneously been allowed QMV deductions for vehicles that were not purchased.

TIGTA found that the IRS failed to identify 4,257 individuals who claimed a total of more than

$151.1 million in excessive QMV deductions. Identification of those individuals might have

prevented the issuance of erroneous tax refunds.

TIGTA also identified 473 individuals who erroneously received about $1.02 million in QMV

deductions because the IRS did not have processes to identify that the individuals were in prison,

deceased, or underage.

"It is imperative that the IRS address the weaknesses identified in this report," said J. Russell

George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. "These are taxpayers' dollars,

and the Service must ensure that only those who deserve this and other tax benefits receive

them."

TIGTA made five recommendations, including reviewing the excessive and questionable claims

identified during the audit. The IRS agreed with all five of the recommendations. The IRS plans

to review all of the cases TIGTA identified, and those cases warranting examination will be

selected for audit. The IRS also plans to revise the Internal Revenue Manual procedures for the

Tax Examiners reviewing QMV deductions.