So a friend of mine who is the queen of glurge actually sent me an email that looks legit - there is a tax credit for everyone who has had a telephone land line for a few years - at least Snopes.com says it is true:
2006 Federal Excise Tax Credit | Snopes.com
It is not a huge amount of money, but every little bit helps, and just something to remember when filling out your taxes for 2006.
This year’s tax structure also includes:
Form 5695-Residential Energy Credits
Form 8909-Energy Efficient Appliance Credit
Form 8908-Energy Efficient Home Credit
Form 8910-Alternative Motor Vehicle Fuel Credit
Form 8911-Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit
Form 8906-Distilled Spirits Credit
Form 8896-Low Sulfur Diesel Production Credit
Form 8864-Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Fuels Credit
Form 8900-Qualified Railroad Track Maintenance Credit
Those are the new credits for this coming tax year. Yay!
Snopes is a secondary source, although a good one.
For a primary source, read the IRS’s FAQ on the Telephone Tax Refund. In brief: Fill out one line on your tax return to claim the refund based on the number of exemptions you claim, no further documentation required!
From <std/disclaimers.h>:
I am not a tax authority, I’m just providing a link to the IRS site, etc.
It also includes VOIP and cell customers. The key factor is taxes paid on long-distance calls, not whether there were wires involved.
On a quick read of the IRS page, it looks like you just check a box that says you talked to somebody on the phone last year and you’ll get a $30-60 credit based on the number of exemptions you claim.
Damn. This wasn’t what I hoped it might be.
Oh well, at least the Feds will partially compensate me for my railroad repair project.
Unless you’ve got a distilled spirits railroad/pleasure train.
I think we’ve found a niche market, here.