Vehicle Property Tax

[lowcountry]

SantaLuz, SC also provides relief for residents who purchase a vehicle out of state and pay a sales tax out of state. They apply some of it as credit toward the personal property tax so that you dont pay twice.
Really, the best thing to do is to talk on the phone to the assesssors office in the county or town where you are heading. They are very helpful if you explain the whole situation. First, check out the State of SC websites, that others have mentioned , especially regarding new residents, and write down your questions for the phone call. Tell them whether you are a senior or veteran also.
You might even ask your accountant about whether you can get more itemized deductions on your federal tax return by paying property tax instead of sales tax.
This is all way too complicated, and I am not an expert, but I can see from a lot of the other posts that there are a lot of misconceptions even among long time SC taxpayers.
Overall, the taxes are below average, and I feel sure they are thousands less than California.

[neonrider]

Originally Posted by Carolina-Trader

I used to live in North Carolina and moved to South Carolina. I don't long for the taxes in North Carolina. To a previous poster you do get a discount on automobile property taxes if the car in question has 100k+ miles on it. Taxes on 2 cars, registrations for both vehicles, plates, and 2 drivers licenses were less than $150. I don't recall the exact figure as it wasn't much. Not one latino was getting a drivers license in the entire SC DMV. When in North Carolina DMV anyone not speaking Spanish is a minority.

What's wrong with being a Latino?

[neonrider]

Originally Posted by lowcountry

This thread has become sort of argumentive. At the start someone mentioned Paying $1200 tax on a 40,000 vehicle.
This may or may not be accurate but, noone has mentioned that if you purchase that vehicle in SC, the sales tax is only $300.00. paid when you buy it.
In any of the other states mentioned it would be as much as $3200.00.
Overall, I have seen SC rated everything from a tax haven to about #30 on a list of 50 for total taxes and very close to NC.
It is confusing.
As for the $40000 vehicle, perhaps that person has real estate worth $400,000 and is paying comparatively low property tax on it, besides not paying much sales tax on the vehicle at purchase.

I bought a new car in NC (high sales tax) and brought it to SC (very high vehicle property tax). In SC they discourage people from driving new (environmentally less polluting) cars by taxing new car owners to death. In SC it pays to own an old junk polluting car with high mileage on it. That should change with global warming in mind.

[lowcountry]

When you register that car in SC, bring the bill of sale with you. The sales tax that you paid on a recent purchase in NC, will be credited toward the property tax in SC.

[jrhep1]

Wat maes yous thinks CT's are smart, tan usun hear in SC. There the ones shoveling Snow about now.