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I'm curious what Registry office is giving you this misinformation?
I don't doubt that he's telling the truth about what he was told. Different Registry branches will tell you different things.
My daughter was living in Atlanta, Georgia when the old car I had given her died. She leased a car at a local dealership there but never registered it in Georgia because the magazine she worked at folded at the same time. So she packs up and decides to drive home to Mass and she only has temporary paper plates on the car. I told her that she couldn't drive around here with only paper plates that had expired and we had to get the car registered. What a nightmare. I wish it were as simple as just paying extra sales tax.
The dealership did not give us the required paperwork to register the car in this state. We tried different registries and got all kinds of answers. We settled on one because they seemed willing to work with us. It took us 3 trips back and forth between the Registry and the Insurance company until they accepted the paperwork and gave us plates. Between the Insurance company, the Registry and myself, we forged all kind of documents. It took ALL DAY long, and this is after my daughter spent a previous day trying to do this on her own.
As a NH resident buying a car in MA you did not need to pay MA sales tax at the time of purchase. Atamian most definitely knew this. Car dealers in MA and NH know what they need to do to sell to people in both states. People who have a New Hampshire address and register their vehicle in New Hampshire, do not pay any Massachusetts sales tax.
Now that you are titling and registering the car in MA, you have to pay sales tax on the current book value of the car, not the original purchase price. If you were moving here from New York, for example, and had already paid sales tax to New York, there would be no sales tax due in MA.
I'm curious what Registry office is giving you this misinformation?
We went to the registry in Danvers. When there was confusion on exactly what was happening we had asked to speak with a supervisor. Our information was taken and said someone would get to us by Tuesday next week. We said that wasn't acceptable and asked for someone to call us within 24 hours. Reason we asked for a quick response was our insurance was already changed to MA and our licenses were also changed to MA and our NH licenses were taken by the RMV. We received a phone call Saturday from someone who worked at the Saugus location. This person said that Atamian should of charged us the tax and failed to for some reason unknown. It was determined that we weren't at fault for that and the interest would be dropped.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaseyB
I don't doubt that he's telling the truth about what he was told. Different Registry branches will tell you different
Registrys are the worst, regardless of the state. Feel like you never get the right/same answer.
Um. No. OP tried to screw Massachusetts and it's residents who pay their sales taxes.
If you can't take the consequences, don't take the risks. OP did something illegal and now has to pay for it.
Same way everyone on the border buys liquor and tobacco, etc. in NH for consumption in Msss but still want the Mass services those taxes pay for.
Um, no. A NH resident doesn't pay Mass sales tax on a car registered in NH. The OP resided in NH so had no obligation to pay sales tax to Mass on that car.
Now, at a later date they are moving into Mass and are expected to pay sales tax on something they ALREADY own. I don't see anyway that is fair and equitable. By that logic everyone that ever moves into Mass. should have to pay sales tax on everything they own and bring into Mass. I call BS on that, not that I don't put it past our wonderful Commiewealth legislators to try it.
Um, no. A NH resident doesn't pay Mass sales tax on a car registered in NH. The OP resided in NH so had no obligation to pay sales tax to Mass on that car.
A NH resident is supposed to, but did not, pay Mass sales tax on a car purchased in Massachusetts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dravogadro
Sales tax had to be paid at time of purchase, resident or not.
Every purchaser of a motor vehicle, trailer or other vehicle, who is not required to register or title the vehicle in Massachusetts, must, by the twentieth day of the month following the date of purchase, transfer or use of such vehicle within Massachusetts, file a completed Form ST-7R, Motor Vehicle Certificate of Payment of Sales or Use Tax and pay any applicable tax to the Department of Revenue or Registry of Motor Vehicles.
If the sales/use tax is not paid timely, interest and penalties are assessed in addition to the tax.
A NH resident is supposed to, but did not, pay Mass sales tax on a car purchased in Massachusetts.
Every purchaser of a motor vehicle, trailer or other vehicle, who is not required to register or title the vehicle in Massachusetts, must, by the twentieth day of the month following the date of purchase, transfer or use of such vehicle within Massachusetts, file a completed Form ST-7R, Motor Vehicle Certificate of Payment of Sales or Use Tax and pay any applicable tax to the Department of Revenue or Registry of Motor Vehicles.
If the sales/use tax is not paid timely, interest and penalties are assessed in addition to the tax.
Read your own post:
"transfer or use of such vehicle WITHIN Massachusetts"
You are aware that New Hampshire is NOT a part of Massachusetts, right? While many in MA seem to think NH is an extension of MA, it is not (thank God).
And, I highly doubt the attorney's at these dealerships IN MA haven't confirmed all this before putting this info on their websites:
1- Unless you had the dealer register the car, they are not responsible for collecting sales tax sales tax is paid at the time of registration in the state of MA not at the location of purchase like with all other sales tax.
2- Whether the car is registered in MA or not, MA state sales tax still needs to be paid when the car is purchased here in MA.
From the MA state website, the section everyone seems to be ignoring, which is the only one relevant to this situation.
"Motor Vehicle Purchases in Massachusetts by Nonresidents: If a nonresident of Massachusetts purchases a motor vehicle in Massachusetts and takes title to and/or possession of the vehicle in Massachusetts, the sale is subject to the Massachusetts sales/use tax irrespective of whether the nonresident intends to use the motor vehicle within or outside Massachusetts."
So even if you live in NH and are a resident of NH, if you purchase a car in MA, then you are responsible for paying the sales tax on the purchase of that car, even if you don't register it here.
I can understand the interest being dropped because of confusion, but full tax should be paid on the purchase price, not current value of the car when transferred to MA and the original error was realized.
Also, claiming ignorance shouldn't be a defense, sales tax is owed on everything in MA except food and non-luxury clothing, even a NH resident knows that and should have realized that you didn't pay tax on the purchase.
1- Unless you had the dealer register the car, they are not responsible for collecting sales tax sales tax is paid at the time of registration in the state of MA not at the location of purchase like with all other sales tax.
2- Whether the car is registered in MA or not, MA state sales tax still needs to be paid when the car is purchased here in MA.
From the MA state website, the section everyone seems to be ignoring, which is the only one relevant to this situation.
"Motor Vehicle Purchases in Massachusetts by Nonresidents: If a nonresident of Massachusetts purchases a motor vehicle in Massachusetts and takes title to and/or possession of the vehicle in Massachusetts, the sale is subject to the Massachusetts sales/use tax irrespective of whether the nonresident intends to use the motor vehicle within or outside Massachusetts."
So even if you live in NH and are a resident of NH, if you purchase a car in MA, then you are responsible for paying the sales tax on the purchase of that car, even if you don't register it here.
I can understand the interest being dropped because of confusion, but full tax should be paid on the purchase price, not current value of the car when transferred to MA and the original error was realized.
Also, claiming ignorance shouldn't be a defense, sales tax is owed on everything in MA except food and non-luxury clothing, even a NH resident knows that and should have realized that you didn't pay tax on the purchase.
Moral of the story? Don't spend your money in MA if you're a NH resident. Be smart and keep more of what you earn by spending your $ in NH. Amongst the many reasons why we will be leaving Mass.
As a NH resident buying a car in MA you did not need to pay MA sales tax at the time of purchase. Atamian most definitely knew this. Car dealers in MA and NH know what they need to do to sell to people in both states. People who have a New Hampshire address and register their vehicle in New Hampshire, do not pay any Massachusetts sales tax.
Now that you are titling and registering the car in MA, you have to pay sales tax on the current book value of the car, not the original purchase price. If you were moving here from New York, for example, and had already paid sales tax to New York, there would be no sales tax due in MA.
I'm curious what Registry office is giving you this misinformation?
We can all agree the RMV is just short of a criminal organization....BUT a taxed sale is MA is a taxed sale in MA. If you bought something in CT, you WOULD pay their sales tax, not living in the state doesn't change that, you bought it there! No different. Live in MA, go to MA, buy in MA, get SCREWED BY MA!
OP was not without choices to purchase in NH, support their local businesses and fellow staunch anti-Massachusetts haters, and avoid the dreaded Massachusetts tax-contagion.
We can all agree the RMV is just short of a criminal organization....BUT a taxed sale is MA is a taxed sale in MA. If you bought something in CT, you WOULD pay their sales tax, not living in the state doesn't change that, you bought it there! No different. Live in MA, go to MA, buy in MA, get SCREWED BY MA!
I agree, but cars are about the only purchase I can think of where one does not pay the Massachusetts sales tax directly to the merchant. It is collected at the RMV when the car is registered here. Since the OP, being a NH resident, could not register the car in Mass. he had no opportunity to pay (until now).
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