The Internal Revenue Service has acknowledged the certification by Mazda Motor of America, Inc., that several of its Model Year 2008 vehicles meet the requirements of the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit as qualified hybrid motor vehicles.

The credit amount for the certified 2008 model year hybrid vehicles are:

Mazda Tribute 2WD Hybrid — $3,000

Mazda Tribute 4WD Hybrid — $2,200

The Tribute is Mazda's first gasoline-electric model. Tributes will be available for purchase within three weeks in California, then they will be rolled out to the rest of the country.

Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit up to the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer records its sale of the 60,000th vehicle. For the second and third calendar quarters after the quarter in which the 60,000th vehicle is sold, taxpayers may claim 50 percent of the credit. For the fourth and fifth calendar quarters, taxpayers may claim 25 percent of the credit. No credit is allowed after the fifth quarter.

You can view the complete list of hybrid vehicles that are eligible for the tax credit.