moving to Houston soon and question about CAR registration (sales, insurance)

[appletina88]

Hi everyone!
I will be moving to Texas this summer for a new job and I am currently at Virginia, thinking of purchasing a car here and moving it down with me. (since sales tax in VA is 3% and TX is 6.25%)
But is it true that I would need to pay the difference in sales tax when I am registering my car in TX when I move there?
I was planning on purchasing the car here, register it in VA and then ship it down to TX so I can use it as soon as I get there, but if I have to pay the difference in sales tax anyways I wouldn't want to spend money on shipping the car.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by appletina88

Hi everyone!
I will be moving to Texas this summer for a new job and I am currently at Virginia, thinking of purchasing a car here and moving it down with me. (since sales tax in VA is 3% and TX is 6.25%)
But is it true that I would need to pay the difference in sales tax when I am registering my car in TX when I move there?
I was planning on purchasing the car here, register it in VA and then ship it down to TX so I can use it as soon as I get there, but if I have to pay the difference in sales tax anyways I wouldn't want to spend money on shipping the car.

Thank you in advance for your help!

This is a very helpful link with the information that you are looking for. Good Luck

New to Texas?

I found the following from this link.



Here's the steps to becoming a Registered Texan:

1. Have your vehicle inspected. Simply take your vehicle to a certified Texas Department of Public Safety inspection station. (Many mechanic shops, oil change locations and service stations are certified by DPS as inspection stations.) Bring your insurance card.
   
   In Texas, you must show you have insurance coverage for a minimum of $30,000 per injured person, up to a total of $60,000 for everyone injured in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
2. Next, it's time to get your vehicle registration sticker and license plates. To do this, you must visit your local county tax-assessor collector office. You will need that insurance card, the inspection papers, and proof you own the vehicle, such as the registration or title from your previous state. You can also show a current foreign/military ownership document or foreign evidence of ownership.
   
   You need to fill out and bring a form to the county tax office. You are required to title your vehicle in Texas. If you have the title, complete Form 130-U. If you do not possess the title because it has a lien, you need to complete Form VTR-272.
   
   The base registration fee in Texas is $50.75 plus $1 for TexasSure, the electronic insurance verification program, and $1 for improvements to the registration and titling computer system. So, total state registration is $52.75 but counties may add other fees to this cost. 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.
   
   While at the county tax assessor-collector's office be sure to ask your customer service representative to sign you up for eReminder. We'll email you when it's time to renew, and in most counties you can renew your registration online.