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I am new to the area and I was wondering if there are any advantages to crossing the border and buying a new car in South Carolina. For example if you are buying a new Infiniti in Charlotte should one broaden the search to include dealers in Columbia, SC or even as far as Augusta, GA.... The last time I purchased a car was in New England where the dealer density is high and therefore the pricing was very competitive (below invoice).
Actually, the most important thing to consider is the sales tax in SC on a new car versus the "highway use tax" in NC. I believe the sales tax on autos in SC is capped at $300; I am not sure about NC. I drove from Charlotte to Hickory last year to buy a used Buick from a Saturn dealer and it was worth the drive.
I thought sales tax was based on where you live, not where you buy the car?
Sales tax is based on where you purchase the car just like most other things (excluding internet orders where most states require you to pay state taxes on items shipped from merchants in other states). For example, if I buy a television at the appliance store in Charlotte, I pay the NC tax on it even though I live in SC.
Property tax, however, is based on where you live/the car is registered.
Sales tax is based on where you purchase the car just like most other things
Not in New York. I live in Staten Island, NY, right across from Woodbridge, NJ. We bought a car in Woodbridge because we got a better deal, but when we went to register it we had to pay the sales tax at NY's rate because that is the state that it was registered in. I don't know if that is the case in any state other than NY though. It would be nice if that rule doesn't apply in NC.
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Originally Posted by Justpeachee
Not in New York. I live in Staten Island, NY, right across from Woodbridge, NJ. We bought a car in Woodbridge because we got a better deal, but when we went to register it we had to pay the sales tax at NY's rate because that is the state that it was registered in. I don't know if that is the case in any state other than NY though. It would be nice if that rule doesn't apply in NC.
That's because NJ has tax agreements with PA & NY.
If you are a resident of NC at the time of purchase, you'll pay a 3% Highway Use Tax (HUT) when you register the newly purchased vehicle in NC. NC does not have a sales tax on motor vehicles.
Not in New York. I live in Staten Island, NY, right across from Woodbridge, NJ. We bought a car in Woodbridge because we got a better deal, but when we went to register it we had to pay the sales tax at NY's rate because that is the state that it was registered in. I don't know if that is the case in any state other than NY though. It would be nice if that rule doesn't apply in NC.
Justpeachee - I was going to say the same thing. If I live by the NY border in Bergen County NJ and bought a car for NJ in Rockland County NY, I'd pay the NJ sales tax. I've wondered just like the OP about a car purchase in the Charlotte area. It is very confusing to say the least. If you lived by the VA border and bought a car there, would you be paying Virginia tax? You would think there is some sort of reciprocal agreement between states on matters like this! Also, do the SC dealers impose that over $500 document fee charge like NC dealers? What a rip-off! Several posters on another thread said this fee is somewhat negotiable. The auto ads in the Charlotte Observer are even more misleading on prices than even the most deceptive ads I encountered in NJ. They all seem to calculate "sale" prices that include a $3000 "contribution" from you. Using that thinking for a $20,000 car, if I had to include a $15,000 payment they would be advertising the car for "only" $5000! Buying a car has a lot more pitfalls than buying almost anything else in life.
If you are a resident of NC at the time of purchase, you'll pay a 3% Highway Use Tax (HUT) when you register the newly purchased vehicle in NC. NC does not have a sales tax on motor vehicles.
mm34b - Does this apply if you bought a car in SC? Does the car dealership in SC collect that 3% NC Highway Use Tax when they register the car and do they forego the SC sales tax (if there is one on autos?)
If I'm moving from NY to Charlotte will I have to pay the highway tax when I register my car?
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Doesn't matter where you buy.
Buying a car has a lot more pitfalls than buying almost anything else in life. 
