CarLoanCheckup is an independent editorial project about one narrow thing: the car loan interest deduction. Congress wrote it into H.R.1, Section 70203, for tax years 2025–2028 — up to $10,000 of loan interest a year (IRS, Schedule 1-A instructions). We read the primary sources. Then we build the tools those texts spell out: a VIN checker for the US final-assembly test and a deduction calculator for the income limits .
Who we are
The honest answer: an editorial team, not a licensed tax firm. No one here claims to be a CPA or an EA. Filers get burned when they assume someone is. One r/tax thread (July 2026, 130 upvotes) told of a preparer who wrecked a return: "He's not a CPA, nor an EA… most people don't even know what a CPA is. They just assume anyone that does taxes is one."
So we don't ask you to trust titles. We ask you to check our work. Each tax figure on this site cites its IRS text, right in the line. Each made-in-the-USA verdict traces to NHTSA vPIC, the federal VIN decoder. A claim with no source next to it is our error — tell us.
How we work
Three rules, spelled out in our methodology . First, primary sources only. Tax rules come from the IRS Schedule 1-A instructions and IRS releases. Plant facts come from NHTSA vPIC. Never "a blog said so." Second, machine research with human checks. Software (AI tools included) gathers and cross-checks the data. An editor then checks each figure against its source. The editorial policy covers both in detail. Third, we fix errors in the open. Get one wrong? We fix the page and log the fix.
What we are not
Not a lender: we don't fund or broker loans, and we don't refinance them. Not a tax preparer: we can't file for you, and nothing here is personal tax advice — the disclaimer draws that line. Not tied to the IRS or NHTSA or any carmaker. We cite their data; they don't endorse us.
Some cases get tricky — a split-production VIN, say, or an amended return. When yours does, the page tells you. It points you to a licensed tax pro instead of guessing.
Contact
Spotted a data error, or a VIN our checker read wrong? Email the editor. Add the page URL and the source you checked — that gets the fastest answer.