HOUSTON -- A Houston man said he thought he would get a tax credit for going green, but now he's seeing red.

Robert Haskett asked KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis why the IRS will not deliver on the tax credit Toyota promised him when he purchased a Prius last year.

Davis has information that could help those looking to cash in on the tax credits for buying an alternative fuel vehicle.

Haskett missed the tax credit by 44 days. He was close to getting a significant credit, up to $3,150.

He was upset because he said a Toyota dealership convinced him to buy the car by dangling the credit the dealership knew had expired.

On Nov. 13, Gullo Toyota in Conroe gave Haskett a letter from the IRS that explained if he purchased the Prius, he would be eligible to receive the $3,150 tax credit.

The only problem -- the credit expired on Oct. 1.

Toyota sold more than 60,000 hybrid vehicles in the U.S. that were eligible for the full credit by the summer of 2006, so the government began phasing out tax incentives for the company's hybrids beginning in the fall of that year.

By the fall of 2007, the credits were gone.

Taxpayers still get a tax break for the makers of others hybrids, such as Ford and Honda.

But only the first 60,000 hybrids of each manufacturer qualifies for the credit.

So instead of getting a tax refund, Haskett, who is retired, will now have to pay. He filed a lawsuit in small claims court against the dealer.

According to the IRS, any dealership that makes false statements about the tax credit may be penalized. Haskett has filed a complaint there as well.

To find out which cars qualify and how much of a tax credit you can get for each vehicle, visit www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=161076,00.html.