car registration woes (inspection, taxi, sales tax)

[scm53]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

I registered my NV car in TX in February after being here almost a year (we maintain a NV residence so we were not technically in violation of the law)

Yes you were. From the Texas Transportation code:

Sec. 502.040. REGISTRATION REQUIRED; GENERAL RULE. (a) Not more than 30 days after purchasing a vehicle or becoming a resident of this state, the owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer shall apply for the registration of the vehicle for:
(1) each registration year in which the vehicle is used or to be used on a public highway; and
(2) if the vehicle is unregistered for a registration year that has begun and that applies to the vehicle and if the vehicle is used or to be used on a public highway, the remaining portion of that registration year.

It is where you reside, not where you own a residence.

As as far as the "archaic" crack? Why should the citizens of Llano County and the State of Texas pay the bank fees so you can use a credit card? Of course, if you'd like, we could always adopt the IRS method for credit card use.

[EzPeterson]

To the OP.
Don't forget that you'll need a TX insurance policy to register the vehicle.

[mommymaci]

Originally Posted by EzPeterson

Nope. Only if the state that sold the car doesn't charge a sales tax.

You'll pay $53.75 and an hour of your time at the tax office. You'll also discover that it's 10000x easier to register a vehicle here than CA.

I am moving to Austin in a few months and I am coming from Anchorage AK where we don't pay sales tax. I bought my car last Sept for about $21,000. Will I have to pay sales tax when I register it in TX???

[mamacatnv]

Originally Posted by scm53

Yes you were. From the Texas Transportation code:



It is where you reside, not where you own a residence.

As as far as the "archaic" crack? Why should the citizens of Llano County and the State of Texas pay the bank fees so you can use a credit card? Of course, if you'd like, we could always adopt the IRS method for credit card use.

Vehicles were not unregistered - they were registered in NV where we maintained our home, were registered to vote etc. We were not Texas residents, we were NV residents, visiting TX. Once we decided to stay here, we bought a home and registered our vehicles here.

It is archaic to me to have a business prefer a check over plastic which also means debit card, not necessarily credit card. I come from a place where just about no one accepts checks.

[EzPeterson]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

It is archaic to me to have a business prefer a check over plastic which also means debit card, not necessarily credit card. I come from a place where just about no one accepts checks.

This just has to do with the processing fees, etc. Many government agencies charge a "convenience fee" to help offset this. Since there's already a process in place to handle deposits of paper checks mailed in, there's no "new" costs for that.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by mamacatnv

Vehicles were not unregistered - they were registered in NV where we maintained our home, were registered to vote etc. We were not Texas residents, we were NV residents, visiting TX. Once we decided to stay here, we bought a home and registered our vehicles here.

It is archaic to me to have a business prefer a check over plastic which also means debit card, not necessarily credit card. I come from a place where just about no one accepts checks.

After 30 days, you are no longer a visitor. Buying, renting, living in a motel matters not. Don't believe me, ask any peace officer. You are just lucky you didn't get stopped, because you would have been ticketed.

And OBTW, the tax assesors office isn't "a business", so the analogy is an epic fail.

[Misty Rose]

When I registered my car in TX from WA, I paid almost $300. That included registration fees, plates, and title transfer.

[Spacepup]

Originally Posted by mommymaci

I am moving to Austin in a few months and I am coming from Anchorage AK where we don't pay sales tax. I bought my car last Sept for about $21,000. Will I have to pay sales tax when I register it in TX???

Is it titled in your name in AK? If so you won't have any problems and won't have to pay any sales tax on it. You will have to pay fees to get it registered and titled in Texas, but that's a completely different thing and everyone has to pay those.

It is only when you buy a car out of state while living in Texas that it really comes up. They aren't trying to gouge new residents or anything, just making sure that Texas residents don't avoid the sales and use tax altogether by buying in another state and then pretending they already owned it but hadn't titled it. Heck there are even exemptions for family gifts of vehicles, even from out of state.

When I moved I paid $183.33 to register my already owned car. I recently bought another, much cheaper, car from out of state and paid over $600 due to the taxes.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Spacepup

Is it titled in your name in AK? If so you won't have any problems and won't have to pay any sales tax on it.

Are you sure about that?

From txdmv.gov:

As a new resident, you also will pay sales tax-related fees required by the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts. Sales tax fees on a vehicle can be $90 or the difference between your previous state's sales tax and the Texas sales tax.

If the previous state's sales tax was zero, then the difference would be the full 6.125%, wouldn't it? I could be wrong as well. Probably would be worth calling the tax assessor's office at 512-854-9473.

[mommymaci]

Originally Posted by Spacepup

Is it titled in your name in AK? If so you won't have any problems and won't have to pay any sales tax on it. You will have to pay fees to get it registered and titled in Texas, but that's a completely different thing and everyone has to pay those.

It is only when you buy a car out of state while living in Texas that it really comes up. They aren't trying to gouge new residents or anything, just making sure that Texas residents don't avoid the sales and use tax altogether by buying in another state and then pretending they already owned it but hadn't titled it. Heck there are even exemptions for family gifts of vehicles, even from out of state.

When I moved I paid $183.33 to register my already owned car. I recently bought another, much cheaper, car from out of state and paid over $600 due to the taxes.

Hi, I just wanted to follow up on this post just in case someone else is looking for this information down the road. Spacepup was indeed correct and I did not have to pay sales tax on my vehicle, only the "new resident tax" of $90. The total to get the car registered was $187.25 plus about $30 for the state inspection. But I agree, the terminology is VERY confusing and I was really nervous that I might get stuck paying sales tax.

I do have friends that said they had to pay tax in other states after registering their Alaska vehicles but luckily for me, that was NOT the case in Texas!