jcnesq

In California, if you buy from a dealer, they are probably going to have to charge Cali sales tax unless they ship it out of state (i.e. you can't drive it away). However, if you buy from a non-dealer private party (that doesn't hold a Cali sellers permit), then they don't have to charge and you just get tagged in your home state when you go to register the car. There could be additional exemptions to cover the first situation, but I haven't looked them up.

CP

My MB dealer (in San Jose, CA) told me that if I bought a MB with European delivery, they will not charge me sales tax up front. I'm responsible for the sales/use tax when I register the car here. If I met the exemption provisions (90 days rule) I pay no tax upon registration.

I studied the rules after this tip, and successfully brought the RUF state-side with no tax hit.

In addition, CA DMV has one-day 'drive-off' registrations ($15 ?) that allow out-of-state buyers 24 hours to drive the purchased car out of CA with no CA sales tax. This is first hand knowledge talking to people in our DMV office.

CP

PramTT

Bought my 88 Mazda back in Ohio when I was going to school there and used the car for 2 years before moving to Cali. Upon registering in Cali DMV, got to pay for the difference in OH (lower) and CA (higher) sales tax using the present value of the 2 year old car.

adsc4s

I guess owning a Porsche doesn't automatically give you class. Lighten up.

fbfisher

Arizona has no sales tax between private parties who are residents. Lucky for me I had a AZ residence. The kind folks at the AZ DMV agreed to send all of my registration materials as well as my title to my CA address - and put my CA address on the title. A year later when it was time to retitle the car, I did so in CA and paid registration fees based on CA calculations of the value of the car. The kind folks at AZ DMV put what they considered the value of my car to be, which the CA DMV accepted. Let's just say I saved a bundle in tax and registration savings. Play by the rules and you may still come out ahead, depending on what the rules are in the states you are dealing with.

mike cap

Seege,

I am sorry. I guess the word "scenarios" does not imply a "suggestion". Begs the question, though, why you would post a reply that lists "scenarios" to commit felony tax fraud. Those are the kind of helpful hints that we Rennlisters need....

Mike Lincoln? Now you're really starting to make me mad.

mlincoln

I find myself in the odd position of agreeing with Agro. While it is natural to wish to avoid getting dinged by taxes, "taxes are the price we pay for living in a civilized society" (Oliver Wendall Holmes).

FWIW, the rules in Utah are you either pay the difference (if any) in sales taxes between the purchase state and Utah, or else you turn in your registration and plates from the other state (in the case of an imported vehicle when you move in) showing that it is a used car not recently purchased.

When living in Europe for a year I bought a US-spec Saab. Upon importing it to the USA I did not have to pay Utah sales tax because I turned in my one year old Swedish registration and plates (well, they let me keep the plates as a memory) with proof of payment of Swedish VAT (way high, greatly exceeding Utah's puny rate!).

Mike Lincoln

Jastx

mrsullivan,

If you buy the car you're thinking of, from a private owner in NJ, there won't be any state-related part of the transaction in NJ -- no NJ sales tax. You will just be paying the seller directly and he will be signing over the title. When you get back to TX to register is when taxes will be assessed. So no differences between states to worry about.

seege

I'd like to offer my sincerest apology to Mike Cap and Mike Lincoln for my above post. FWIW I pay my taxes.

-CJ Johnson

Chris C.

As has been stated, look up your state's DMV taxation rules. No state taxes levied on out of state (or in-state for that matter) private owner purchases in GA, you're only on the hook for em if you buy from a dealer.

ecobb993

ParadiseNB-

Does GA send a bill for that "value added tax", or should I have filed some sort of "return"? I bought mine from out of state a couple years ago; but haven't seen that one yet.

Chris C.

In GA it's an ad valoreum fee paid at the yearly tag renewal date, which is now on your birthday.

Haven't registered that car yet?

Ray Calvo

I live in PA and have bought cars in NJ, NY, and OH. I've not paid the purchased state sales tax but have paid the PA tax when I registered the car. Dream on, numnut.

mrsullivan

who u calling numnut?

did you read through all these posts? we even had attorneys arguing with each other about this...! not near as straightfoward as some would think, as evidenced by this thread...

only my wife gets to call me numnut... :-)

paradisenb

ecobb993
I bet on your b-day you were charged a few hundred dollars in addition to the 25-30 bucks for the tag. But your were not charged sales tax of any kind.