buying a car in PA vs. NY or DE (Philadelphia: sales, DMV)

[maestro]

very basic and potentially dumb question here:

I'm a PA resident, and I'm on the market for a used car.

if I buy a car in New Jersey or DE, are there tax issues or anything I need to be aware of? Are there any benefits from buying out-of-state like that?

also, if I buy a car in Philadelphia (as opposed to the PA suburbs), am I taxed more?

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by maestro

very basic and potentially dumb question here:

I'm a PA resident, and I'm on the market for a used car.

if I buy a car in New Jersey or DE, are there tax issues or anything I need to be aware of? Are there any benefits from buying out-of-state like that?

also, if I buy a car in Philadelphia (as opposed to the PA suburbs), am I taxed more?

If you buy from a dealer, the dealer takes care of it.

[orrmobl]

I would not buy in Jersey. I bought a car with a rebuilt title there when I was younger and stupidly believed this was for a minor problem...when I went to trade in I was told the "R" title made the car worth significantly less as it was "made from two cars cut in half and welded back together".

Also if you don't mind the drive, I would go to Carmax in MD - no haggle policy and they fully inspect their used cars and I believe give some kind of warranty.

Either that or go private; dealers are the shadiest of the shady and even if they know they are selling you junk, they don't hesitate to do so.

[PhillyViaBoston]

It looks like you may need to pay a sales tax to Pennsylvania when you register your car in PA. Here's some info from the PA Dept of Transportation site:

(From the "HOW TO TITLE AND REGISTER YOUR OUT-OF-STATE VEHICLE IN PENNSYLVANIA" FAQ)
If the vehicle has been titled in your name for at least six months, you are not required to show proof of sales tax paid. If it has been less than six months, you will need to provide your sales tax receipt, or remit PA sales tax.

SALES TAX
Pennsylvania sales tax is 6 percent of the purchase price or the current market value of the vehicle. (7 percent for residents of Allegheny County and 8 percent for City of Philadelphia residents.)

These FAQs may be useful:
Motor Vehicle Forms, Publications and FAQs (http://www.dot3.state.pa.us/forms/motorVehicleForms.shtml - broken link)
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-toos.pdf (broken link)