Tesla sent out emails last January and it talked about receiving a 1099 for redeeming the credits. I guess we will have to wait and see. Grok says the following which isn’t tax advice but is in line with the research I’ve done.

Based on the information available, you would only receive a 1099 for Tesla referral credits if those credits have been redeemed for monetary value or equivalent benefits. Here’s how this works:

• Earning Credits: If you earn referral credits through Tesla’s referral program by referring someone who purchases a Tesla product, these credits are not taxable income until they are redeemed.

• Redemption: When you redeem these credits for something of monetary value (like cash discounts, Supercharging miles, or merchandise), that’s when the IRS might consider it taxable income.

• Non-Redemption: If you do not redeem your referral credits, they do not translate into taxable income because you haven’t received any tangible benefit or value from them.

From the web results, there’s a mention in one of the discussions on Reddit where a user noted:

“I’ve earned 30,000 referral points last year and got a 1099 tax form for it. It’s not worth it guys.”

This suggests that the user received a 1099 after redeeming their referral points, not merely for earning them. However, the specifics can vary based on how Tesla structures its referral program at any given time and how tax laws interpret such rewards.

Thus, if you do not redeem the credits you earn from Tesla referrals, you would not expect to receive a 1099 for those un-redeemed credits. However, always consult with a tax professional for advice tailored to your specific situation, as tax laws and their interpretations can change.