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Old 08-07-2022, 04:04 PM   #21
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Laws will vary by State but most will do all they can to make sure they are collecting Sales Tax on sales of any "registered property". Motor Vehicles, Boats, RV's, Airplanes, etc are all targets of their enforcement.

Our State has a unit within the State Patrol that seeks out those who are living here and have vehicles registered in other States. When they catch them (and they catch a lot) there is a hefty fine as well as Sales Tax back to when the purchase was made is due (with interest).


Oregon used to be a favorite for out of state registrations. One year the State put cameras on the Interstate Bridge across the Columbia for a major holiday weekend. Recorded Oregon plates headed South (into Oregon) at the beginning of the weekend, and recorded Oregon plates headed North (back to Washington). By comparing the lists they smoked out a huge number of WA residents using OR plates. Sneaky but effective and also expensive for offenders.

Whenever I've sold a registered vehicle (or traded one in) I filled out a "Report Of Sale" with our Dept of Licensing. If the new owner fails to transfer title and registration, gets in a wreck, at least I have some shielding from liability.

As for Sales Tax in WA, if one buys a vehicle out of state, and pays Sales Tax, any amount paid in another State is credited to amount due when transfering title/registering in WA.

As for "waiting a year" and not having to pay Sales Tax? Sounds fishy to me. States are usually not that benevolent. Here they don't even trust the amount shown on private party Bills of Sale. They use their own "Book" to determine the fair market value.
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Old 08-07-2022, 05:21 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by TitanMike View Post
As for Sales Tax in WA, if one buys a vehicle out of state, and pays Sales Tax, any amount paid in another State is credited to amount due when transfering title/registering in WA.

As for "waiting a year" and not having to pay Sales Tax? Sounds fishy to me. States are usually not that benevolent. Here they don't even trust the amount shown on private party Bills of Sale. They use their own "Book" to determine the fair market value.
WA is not that benevolent, for sure. They get residents no matter what or when. For people moving to the state, they will give a pass on sales tax for the car/truck if you bought it more than 90 day before moving in. For an RV - - no such luck. They want sales tax on it no matter when you bought it. At least that is how I interpret the law.
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Old 08-08-2022, 03:09 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by TitanMike View Post
Laws will vary by State but most will do all they can to make sure they are collecting Sales Tax on sales of any "registered property". Motor Vehicles, Boats, RV's, Airplanes, etc are all targets of their enforcement.

Our State has a unit within the State Patrol that seeks out those who are living here and have vehicles registered in other States. When they catch them (and they catch a lot) there is a hefty fine as well as Sales Tax back to when the purchase was made is due (with interest).


Oregon used to be a favorite for out of state registrations. One year the State put cameras on the Interstate Bridge across the Columbia for a major holiday weekend. Recorded Oregon plates headed South (into Oregon) at the beginning of the weekend, and recorded Oregon plates headed North (back to Washington). By comparing the lists they smoked out a huge number of WA residents using OR plates. Sneaky but effective and also expensive for offenders.

Whenever I've sold a registered vehicle (or traded one in) I filled out a "Report Of Sale" with our Dept of Licensing. If the new owner fails to transfer title and registration, gets in a wreck, at least I have some shielding from liability.

As for Sales Tax in WA, if one buys a vehicle out of state, and pays Sales Tax, any amount paid in another State is credited to amount due when transfering title/registering in WA.

As for "waiting a year" and not having to pay Sales Tax? Sounds fishy to me. States are usually not that benevolent. Here they don't even trust the amount shown on private party Bills of Sale. They use their own "Book" to determine the fair market value.
With regard to that "Seller's report of sale" document, Washington doesn't mess around.

About 5 years ago, one of my daughters sold her old, junky, 2001 Chevy Cavalier to one of her coworkers. Apparently she neglected to fill out and submit that "report of sale" document.

That coworker drove it around without ever changing the registration or title, and eventually abandoned it last year when it died on the side of the road.

The car was impounded, and nobody cared about her copy of the bill of sale. She was on the hook for more than $700 in towing and storage fees that she had to deal with long distance from her new home in Arizona.

Basically, because she didn't report it sold at the time, and the new owner didn't change the title/registration, it was her car as far as the state was concerned, and the tow company would be within their rights to send her to collections for any storage and towing fees that they didn't recoup at auction.

It's a super shady deal, but it is what it is.
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Old 08-08-2022, 03:25 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird View Post
Pay the tax. She does have some liability as long as it's registered in her name.
Not true at all. As long as the previous owner reports the sale to their own DMV. There is a trailer on my DMV record that I sold 1 1/2 years ago. I called to the DMV to get it removed from my record and they told me it would only be removed from my record once the new owner registered it, but since I reported the sale of the trailer, I was not responsible for anything associated with it.
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Old 08-08-2022, 03:30 PM   #25
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I bought my trailer six months ago. I have a bill of sale. My address is in Torrance and the sellers address was listed as Ontario California but she had Nevada plates. I have not registered or paid sales tax yet. The guy at the DMV told me if I waited a year I would not have to pay but the previous owner wants me to get it registered in my name as she feels she has some sort of liability. It’s insured in my name. Would like to get out of paying the sales tax obviously. What would you recommend? Thank you.
Well, you are already in violation of California state law by 5 months and 20 days, so how much do want to push your luck? California state law requires that you report the purchase to the DMV within 10 days. California sellers have 5 days to report the sale.
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Old 08-08-2022, 06:47 PM   #26
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How Sales tax works on RV purchased

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Originally Posted by lazyjj View Post
Wow, glad I live in SC. You pay $500.00 flat sales tax on RV, Boat, Auto, whichever. This is for new purchases. There is a lesser threshold where you would actually pay less for used model.

But in SC they charge a yearly depreciating tax on vehicles called a personal property tax and is collected at tag time.
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Old 08-08-2022, 07:17 PM   #27
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But in SC they charge a yearly depreciating tax on vehicles called a personal property tax and is collected at tag time.
WA state used to do that too. The tab tax was something like "two point something" of the State's book value, not KBB value.

If you owned a $100K, or more, Motorhome an annual "tab fee" was often $2500+.

Wasn't bad back in the day when a new car or pickup sold in the $10,000- $15,000 range.

Voters passen an initiative dropping tab fees to $30. Of course the Legislature just kept adding different fees to the point my 18 year old pickup still costs me around $300 per year for tabs. My travel trailer also requires a fee for "RV Disposal" now. Not only am I paying to tow it, I'm also paying to dispose of it.
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Old 08-14-2022, 08:44 AM   #28
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Massachusetts doesn’t have county tax rate, flat 6.25% as soon as you go to the DMV. They don’t care where you bought your vehicle either. You want to register it in Massachusetts 6.25% thank you very much. Plus we have an excise tax as well. We pay that every year. 25% per 1000 but they have a crazy way of figuring that out. It drops every year as the vehicle value drops.
Not true. If you bought your vehicle in another state and paid the sales tax to the other state, you only pay the difference between what you paid and what Massachusetts would collect. In our case, we bought in Florida earlier this year, and owed zero sales tax in Mass. Did have to fill out the correct forms.
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Old 10-09-2022, 11:14 PM   #29
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In the Great State of Texas this is a loophole:

Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax

Cars, vans, trucks and other vehicles are subject to motor vehicle sales and use tax. Motor vehicles are exempt from tax if they are modified to be used by someone with orthopedic disabilities to help them drive or ride in the vehicle.

The modified vehicle must be used at least 80 percent of the time to transport, or be driven by, a person with an orthopedic disability.

This exemption does not apply to trailers or other vehicles not designed to transport people.

Qualifying Modifications

No tax is due on adaptive devices, the labor to install those devices, or any charge to remodel the vehicle to accommodate the driver or passenger with an orthopedic disability. Examples of modifications that qualify a motor vehicle for tax exemption include the following:

*hand controls and left-side accelerator pedals, which allow an individual with orthopedic disabilities to drive the vehicle
*raised ceilings
*wheelchair lifts, which allow an individual with orthopedic disabilities to ride in the vehicle

Since my wife falls into the category of ‘orthopedic disability’ we are exempt from paying sales tax on motor vehicles that she operates or rides in, including the Motorhome which has a ‘special’ passenger seat with heat and a foot rest as well as special grab bars for entry as well as in the bath. We will also be installing a removable lift to be able to allow easier access for both her and my mother.
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Old 10-10-2022, 02:53 AM   #30
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Sounds like a "closed" loop!

Greg, from what you quoted Re: Texas Motor Vehicle Sales & Use Tax, it sounds like only the cost of the adaptive devices, the labor to install those devices, or any charge to remodel the vehicle to accommodate the driver or passenger, but NOT the entire cost of the vehicle itself. I don't live in Texas but good luck on that one.
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Old 10-10-2022, 06:09 AM   #31
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Cali sounds great. I'm going to sell everything and move there.
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Old 10-10-2022, 06:23 AM   #32
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Greg, from what you quoted Re: Texas Motor Vehicle Sales & Use Tax, it sounds like only the cost of the adaptive devices, the labor to install those devices, or any charge to remodel the vehicle to accommodate the driver or passenger, but NOT the entire cost of the vehicle itself. I don't live in Texas but good luck on that one.
We were in the pharmacy and home medical equipment biz for 50 years, with 35 locations in 8 states, and had a division that did vehicle conversions and modifications. So got real familiar with the laws on this…

“… …Motor vehicles are exempt from tax if they are modified to be used by someone with orthopedic disabilities to help them drive or ride in the vehicle. …”
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Old 10-10-2022, 09:32 AM   #33
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Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird View Post
Pay the tax. She does have some liability as long as it's registered in her name.
The seller should file the DMV form that indicates that vehicle has been sold.



Now you can wait a year and then CA will ding you with additional fees for your delay.

PAY THE FEES
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Old 10-10-2022, 09:35 AM   #34
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Cali sounds great. I'm going to sell everything and move there.
You forgot a step. Sell everything, buy an electric car, and move there.
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Old 10-10-2022, 10:23 AM   #35
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Cali sounds great. I'm going to sell everything and move there.
You'll have to sell everything just so you can afford to live there
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Old 10-10-2022, 11:41 AM   #36
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Not to offend, as I am always into saving money

If you can work a place thats cheaper on sales tax, I guess its OK. But I would check with your Ins company first: Some are sticky, and your policy may dictate it is kept at your residence in case you need to make a claim

Also, where are you listing with the DMV where you are keeping it? Space #16 at the local RV rental space? How will you get renewals, etc w/o the state knowing? What adress will be on the registration?

Not being a smart butt, but I would contact DMV and my ins first to ensure you are covered in case things go wrong. I dont go with casual conversation on the net, or "I know a guy that knew a guy", etc. Go to the actual source first, thats YOUR states DMV

Cmon folks, we knew that there would be a tax when we bought our rigs And CA WANTS THIER MONEY.

I hate the whole sales tax more than anyone, but getting a possible fine, or having to turn in your plates (if it happens) and then paying another large fee for reinstating, doesnt save money
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