DMV California Auto Sales Tax when relocating from a different state (Texas) (Los Angeles: for sale, 2014)

[deadcoder]

Hello everyone,
I have already asked this question in Automotive forum but didn't get a very clear answer of my question. So I was wondering, if any of you had to deal with the same thing what I'm about to face soon.

We are moving to San Diego, CA (La Mesa actually, 91942 zip code) from Texas in early January. We also bought a car recently. I heard that if I move a new car to CA, I have to pay sales tax(Sales Tax in CA - Sales Tax in TX ~ 3%) again. I already did some search on this forum and found a lot of different information. I saw there is a rule for 120 days, I also saw 49-state thing. So, I'm just wondering, which one is more accurate? Most of those posts were old, so any recent information would be very helpful.

- Is there any way I can avoid paying this sales tax once I move to California?
- Like some other states, TX also has tax credit when buying a new car with trade-in. I meant to say, if my new car price is $38K and the trade-in value was $20K, then I have to pay sales tax only for the remaining balance, which is $18K. I did that already in August. But I think California don't follow it. So in case if I have to pay tax, which portion of the price will be considered for sales tax?

I bought my car in August 18, 2014 and its currently registered in Texas and have a TX license plate.

On DMV site Buying a Vehicle From Out of State - Can You Register it in California? FFVR 29, there is a section related to 49-state rule:

Does This Apply to Someone Moving to California?

If you are moving to California from another state, you may register a new 49-state vehicle if it was first registered by you in your home state, or for military personnel, in the last state of your military service. When applying for vehicle registration in California, you must provide evidence that the vehicle was registered.

Does this apply to me? I also found this FAQ - Use Tax Exemptions or Exclusions - Board of Equalization:

Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Purchases of property that are both first functionally used outside the state of California and are used continuously in interstate or foreign commerce (both within and outside California), and not exclusively in California, are exempt from the use tax. For example, a purchase of a ferry boat to transport passengers between Los Angeles and Catalina Island (two California ports) does not qualify for the exemption, even though the vessel may travel through international waters to arrive at its destination. However, the purchase of an aircraft regularly used in transporting passengers from Mexico to Canada may be exempt, even if it stops at various airports in California to pick up additional passengers. For more information see Regulation 1620, Interstate and Foreign Commerce.

Alternatively, under the 12-month test, vehicles, vessels, and aircraft first functionally used outside California will not be regarded as purchased for use in this state if the vehicle, vessel, or aircraft is brought into California within 12 months after its purchase and one-half or more of the miles traveled by the vehicle, or nautical miles traveled by the vessel, or flight time traveled by the aircraft during the six-month period immediately following its entry into this state are miles/nautical miles/flight time in interstate or foreign commerce. See the page outlining the 12-month test provisions for specific requirements. You may also see publication 110, Purchases from Out-of-State Vendors.

I also tried with this calculator https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...esidentForm.do but the calculator doesn't go with what I heard on this forum (49 state or 120 days rule)

Did any of you recently move to San Diego with a car which was almost new? Any information would be really helpful.



Thanks in advance.

[ShelbyGirl1]

We moved from just outside of Houston. It does not make any difference how new ( or old) your vehicle is. You will pay tax on the value YOU declare. You may be better going to AAA, if you are a member. LOL...the girl behind the desk told my husband our 67 Vette was really, really old and it probably wasn't worth much at all. ��
Paying taxes on the cars...and one was just a few months old at the time, for a second time certainly does sux...but there is no way of avoiding it.
You may also want to be aware that Ca. Has an ongoing program for people to report others that have made a move to the State, but keep their old plates and fail to register their car in Ca. Just as a FYI

[Curmudgeon]

In other words, welcome to California where you will be crankily ripped-off by the DMV, the Board of Equalization (they make sure the state get an amount of your money equal to what you get to keep) and the ever-popular Franchise Tax Board. You'll meet them at income tax time and you won't like them.

[Czechsix]

Welcome to California, now bend over.

Of course, you'll be told that it's all good by plenty of the folks here.

[deadcoder]

Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1

We moved from just outside of Houston. It does not make any difference how new ( or old) your vehicle is. You will pay tax on the value YOU declare. You may be better going to AAA, if you are a member. LOL...the girl behind the desk told my husband our 67 Vette was really, really old and it probably wasn't worth much at all. ��
Paying taxes on the cars...and one was just a few months old at the time, for a second time certainly does sux...but there is no way of avoiding it.
You may also want to be aware that Ca. Has an ongoing program for people to report others that have made a move to the State, but keep their old plates and fail to register their car in Ca. Just as a FYI

Thanks ShelbyGirl1 for the heads-up about license plates.. Looks like I need to face a lot of things after I move there

[deadcoder]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

In other words, welcome to California where you will be crankily ripped-off by the DMV, the Board of Equalization (they make sure the state get an amount of your money equal to what you get to keep) and the ever-popular Franchise Tax Board. You'll meet them at income tax time and you won't like them.

Originally Posted by Czechsix

Welcome to California, now bend over.

Of course, you'll be told that it's all good by plenty of the folks here.

[moved]

Print out all of the paperwork that you need to transfer your car to CA, then make an appointment with DMV. AAA is fine, but they don't issue driver's licenses, so why make two trips?

I was in and out of DMV within 20 minutes last July. I had to transfer my new to me van into my name, and I printed and filled out all the paperwork in advance. But under no circumstances go to a DMV office without an appointment, you'll be sitting there all day.

[deadcoder]

Originally Posted by moved

Print out all of the paperwork that you need to transfer your car to CA, then make an appointment with DMV. AAA is fine, but they don't issue driver's licenses, so why make two trips?

I was in and out of DMV within 20 minutes last July. I had to transfer my new to me van into my name, and I printed and filled out all the paperwork in advance. But under no circumstances go to a DMV office without an appointment, you'll be sitting there all day.

Thanks Moved, I will do that. One quick question, can I go to any DMV office? Or is it pre-assigned based on zip code or county. My new zip code will be 91942 (La Mesa) and based on Google map, I see El Cajon's DMV office is the closet one.

[moved]

You can go to any DMV office, it doesn't matter if it's not in your zip code, the money all goes to the same place. When you go on the CA DMV website, you'll see the option for making online appointments, that's where you pick your office, and see when the next available appointment is.

[phinneas j. whoopee]

I was under the impression that the only way a 49 state car could be operated legally in ca was by active duty military with their home state plates.
49 state cars now have less dispsarity than they used to but they still pollute more and we pay more for our cars here.
Why should people invading this state from elsewhere (sorry TC nothing personal) be allowed to operate vehicles with less stringent pollution control standards than those my vehicle must adhere to and be tested on?
This may not be helpful in answering the question but then again it may.