Excise Tax (Texas) on 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring Lease

I’ve been wrestling with BoA/LFS for four months over charges for 2024/2025 taxes on my lease that began 6/23. They said they mailed the form 50-285 on two separate occasions (11/2023 and 3/2025) and because I never returned the forms, I owe the taxes.

Lots of back and forth with a LFS manager (who has always been polite and sympathetic) with an undercurrent of ignorance around how the whole tax process works. The result of many of those calls has been the manager submitting a request to the tax department for various answers and actions, and the same person calling back with the result. I have never talked directly to the tax department.

I find it hard to believe US Mail lost forms mailed to me on two separate occasions, 16 months apart. I’ve never experienced lost mail (that I can recall, our mail service is great). I stated as much to the LFS manager late last week and asked them to send me anything they can provide as evidence. Was told they will resend the letters, which have those dates, but alas, no timestamp of when they were created or mailed.

Today, the LFS manager called to say he received an email saying Lucid is “taking care of the charges” and they will be removed from my account. Not LFS, but Lucid themselves. No further details could be provided, but I am now assured I will receive an updated statement showing I do not owe any additional charges. Time will tell, and I’ll report back if I ever get that statement.

This entire experience has been frustrating and exhausting. I am hopeful, but somewhat dubious, that I will ultimately receive a positive outcome. I am four months out from lease end, and thinking hard about another Lucid lease. Whatever happens with this tax bill will definitely impact my decision.
 
Honestly, that's super frustrating. I will say that I've had a similar experience with our last lease (different company - major automaker). Our neighborhood is not part of the City of Austin, but our address says Austin. Apparently, even if the county waives the charge with the appropriate paperwork, municipalities can still charge it (which Austin does). The leasing company claimed that we were Austin, so we owed it. Had to go thru the whole background (that we weren't part of the CofA), they really struggled with it. Ultimately, it all got waived, but frustrating nonetheless.

Glad to hear Lucid handling on your behalf...
 
This entire experience has been frustrating and exhausting. I am hopeful, but somewhat dubious, that I will ultimately receive a positive outcome. I am four months out from lease end, and thinking hard about another Lucid lease. Whatever happens with this tax bill will definitely impact my decision.
Agree. It really dampens the experience and I will never lease a Lucid again. I simply don’t have time for this frustration each and every year.

Late last week a very kind LFS manager called me.

He acknowledged LFS plays a significant role in the issues Texas lessees are having with erroneous tax charges. He says they are working on it. He also placed some blame on SAs for not including the 50-285 with the purchase documents.

I suggested:

• ability to see if 50-285 received by LFS on portal
• ability to see if turned in to tax office
• ability to submit docs online since often times what the lessee mails to LFS is either lost or not sent to tax office in time

Per his request, I resent 50-285s for both my vehicles. This time via traceable mail. I also sent copies to Marc Winterhoff and my local tax office. Lucid fixed the lease return injustices, and they need to fix this tax issue.
 
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