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FYI. Here are some examples of California "renewal notices" which include miscellaneous registration fee, license fee, "smog abatement fee", etc.
2007 Mercedes 450 GL SUV $608
2005 Dodge Magnum wagon $328
1997 Volvo 850 wagon $263
1991 Mercedes 500 SL $178 NOTE: This is a 18yo car which when it was new, cost $1800 the first year just for the license plate.
I've looked at RetirementLiving dot com. Although it is somewhat tedious to access each state's information on personal property and the site does not specify the amount of taxation, it does indicate whether personal property is taxed in addition to real property. If a state seems of interest, I've checked with the assessor's office and/or real estate agents for a better idea of the cost for our vehicle. Retirement Living - Taxes by State: New York - Wyoming
The states I've researched, CA, NC, NM, SC & VA, all charge a tax on autos, whether leased or owned, which is based on value. VA seems to be the most onerous. OR, GA, and FL do not, but on our leased car we paid a FL sales tax that was removed when we moved to VA. The catch is VA collects a biannual personal property tax that was double the FL sales tax and the registration and inspection fees are more expensive in VA vs FL. LA, amongst other states, imposes a sales tax for registering a car bought and paid for in another state, taking into account the tax previously paid to the other state but we had to pay a pretty steep sales tax to register one car in Louisiana. Seemed so unfair that I never did register our second car. SC has a very attractive car tax capped at $300, but I'm still evaluating whether that state's wonderful COL will translate to a nice enough QOL.
Maybe others can add their experience as these costs can be significant. It would be very helpful if you can share other tax and basic expense comparisons and/or any other useful sites for overall COL comparisons.
I'm also looking at the car taxes per state and am curious - when i used to live in virginia, much of the personal property tax on cars was 'returned" by way of the reduction on the car tax. Is that not the case anymore? Or am I just remembering "selectively and wistfully"? As I recall, Virginia had the decal charge in most counties (usually about 20.00 annually); the car tax by way of personal property tax, based on value of car which then was reduced by a car tax abatement - though the bill was paid twice a year, as I recall, it still didn't seem all that onerous- maybe i had crummy cars); inspection was annual-I think it is now 16.00 a year; hmmm, tag renewal - maybe 35.00 annually (except every true virginian has personalized plates and something scenic, so add another 35.00 but that's just plain vanity ............and we are a vain people ) - if I recall correctly, virginia does not charge a tax upon bringing the car into the state - unlike NC which assesses a stiff charge (by my thoughts) and florida which also nails you. so if you are looking at virginia, double check on whether the tax rate on your car for personal property will be further reduced by a significant amount.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paxquest
I've looked at RetirementLiving dot com. Although it is somewhat tedious to access each state's information on personal property and the site does not specify the amount of taxation, it does indicate whether personal property is taxed in addition to real property. If a state seems of interest, I've checked with the assessor's office and/or real estate agents for a better idea of the cost for our vehicle. Retirement Living - Taxes by State: New York - Wyoming
The states I've researched, CA, NC, NM, SC & VA, all charge a tax on autos, whether leased or owned, which is based on value. VA seems to be the most onerous. OR, GA, and FL do not, but on our leased car we paid a FL sales tax that was removed when we moved to VA. The catch is VA collects a biannual personal property tax that was double the FL sales tax and the registration and inspection fees are more expensive in VA vs FL. LA, amongst other states, imposes a sales tax for registering a car bought and paid for in another state, taking into account the tax previously paid to the other state but we had to pay a pretty steep sales tax to register one car in Louisiana. Seemed so unfair that I never did register our second car. SC has a very attractive car tax capped at $300, but I'm still evaluating whether that state's wonderful COL will translate to a nice enough QOL.
Maybe others can add their experience as these costs can be significant. It would be very helpful if you can share other tax and basic expense comparisons and/or any other useful sites for overall COL comparisons.
I pay about $60.00 to register my vehicles in Texas.No property tax on vehicles but do pay sales tax on the actual cost of the vehicles when bought but any trade is deducted since you paid already on that.
Many years ago Dallas Texas had a personal property tax on vehicles but it was finally dropped as the program cost more than it collected... since there was no licensing impact people just ignored the tax bills.
Tennessee does not have a personal property tax on cars or anything else. I pay $30 to register with an added $35 County "Wheel Tax" for a total of $65 a year. Sure beats the $200 something I was paying per year in Georgia and Maryland.
What?! Is that $200 combined for GA & MD? Because it isn't anything close to that amount for MD alone. I recently paid $128 ($64 annual) for a two-year registration of my car in MD.
I look at all the illegals driving here in northern Virginia with out of state plates and I wonder why I am paying for my Virginia plate each year $300-$400 for mine? Especially when I read what every one else is doing? Assessed value is being rated at the highest rate. And in one year there was only a $10 difference in taxes? Almost highway robbery? Talk about taxation without representation ? Where does this end? All we ever see now days are the politics of politicians asking and getting more money from home and business owners and anyone else who can pay taxes, while our borders are being over run by illegals? How can one lead the fight by suing city government and stopping this insane ludicrous waste of public funding.
Our state is one that taxes personal property - cars, boats, motorcycles, ATVs, trailers, etc. Last year the tax for our 2007 Honda Accord EX was under $150. Annual tags are under $40. From whence we came, registration would have been more than those combined; considerably more when mandatory smog testing is added in.
We moved to our current state 11 days before tags became due in our former state!
Last edited by Curmudgeon; 04-29-2013 at 09:30 AM..
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va tax onerous? what about the car tax rebate?
) - if I recall correctly, virginia does not charge a tax upon bringing the car into the state - unlike NC which assesses a stiff charge (by my thoughts) and florida which also nails you. so if you are looking at virginia, double check on whether the tax rate on your car for personal property will be further reduced by a significant amount. 
