Golf Cart Buyers Could Get Big Tax Credits

People are buying street-legal golf carts and getting tax credits for up to $7,500, which Eyewitness News learned nearly covers the entire cost of the cart.

“Oh I think it's absolutely wonderful,” resident Jay Bruzza said.

Bruzza gets around his Viera neighborhood differently these days, in what you might call a golf cart. It's now dubbed, however, an LSV or “low speed vehicle.”

“You can go shopping, you don't have to worry about finding a parking space. It's just a nice way to meet people and it's a lot of fun,” Bruzza said.

More and more Floridians are traveling this way because of the up to $7,500 in tax credits for buying electric vehicles, a federal program that's driving souped-up golf cart sales through the roof.

“Business is excellent, these are all orders,” Villages golf cart dealer Tony Colangelo said.

It's part of the first stimulus, signed by George W. Bush. It was designed as incentive to purchase electric vehicles, but soon golf carts were being upgraded with lights, turn signals and beefed up batteries to take full advantage of tax credits. In some cases, a $9,000 LSV can qualify for $6,000 in tax credits.

Some who travel the old fashioned way wonder if that is how the stimulus should be spent.

“Golf carts? Do we really need that? I don't think so,” driver Gary Tredo said.

But others say it's exactly what stimulus money is for; it has propped up an industry and even has newer neighborhoods changing the way residents travel.

Those who have taken advantage of the booming stimulus trend say their neighborhoods are better for it.

“They're electric, they're clean energy, they seem to just fit into this type of community that's nice and clean and brand new," Bruzza said.

Bruzza doesn't know how much of a credit he'll get for buying his cart.

One of the most surprising things about the golf cart tax credit is that it gives people almost as much money as the tax credit for first time home-buyers, which is $8,000.

The economic stimulus package is also paying people to install things like solar panels and energy efficient windows.