I hate Car Tax

[Deleted]

I am honestly thinking of selling my car. This is how I feel about how much we had to pay this year: +o( And amazingly my assessment went UP $4000 this year. I've never heard of a car INCREASING $4000 in a year. Maybe I should make a living buying and selling used cars. Hold them for a year and make $4000!

There's no real point about this except to vent. The timing is related to the fact that I just got a bill for an additional 10% because I paid 12 hours late. My own damn fault, but I'm so annoyed generally. My penalty for my car was more than three times the penalty I was assessed for a much larger bill to the fed government (which was a mistake and I didn't actually owe). That makes no sense to me.

[Deleted]

Where do you live?

[Deleted]

Virginia.

[Deleted]

Holy shit.

When we register our car every year we pay a tax based on our county and age of the car, it was something like $47 for DH's 1992 truck and $70 something for my 2004 car.

$4000 is insane.

[ssmjlm]

Whoah what? I would appeal them assessing that you car went up in $4k of value.

But yes, I feel you on the personal property tax, it's so ridiculous.

[whitepicketfence]

Are you able to appeal this?

We don't pay annual tax on our vehicles in PA so I'm not familiar with how this works.

[hbomdiggity]

Oct 15, 2012 10:42:32 GMT -5 jjwritergirl said:

One more reason that I like living on the MD side... Car tax sounds like hell.

But you pay more income tax in md.

Though 4000 still seems crazy - did the car tax cuts finally expire?

[LoveTrains]

How much is the actual car tax?

If it makes you feel any better, my car tax is $900/year on a 2006 subaru forester with 100K miles.

RI is car tax hell.

[karinothing]

Wow, this makes me nervous about buying a new car. We only had to pay $30 this year, since my care is only worth $1500 or so ha ha.

[chessie]

We have all sorts of taxes. 1200 for 2 cars for excise tax and 300 for a horse trailer. Not to mention 300 for a fire tax which goes up every year..

[Deleted]

LOL, ok, reading fail, color me stupid.

I was weeping for you.

[Deleted]

(I understand I will look less sympathetic when I put this is real numbers.) My car tax is $1820 this year. Last year it was $17-something. The assessment went from $47000 to $51000. I know, I know. The tax was due last week so it's too late to appeal at this point. When I looked into and called, I was told (and it appears to be confirmed by city ordinance) that the only basis to appeal is based on the physical/mechanical condition of the car. My car is in excellent shape and has less than 20,000 miles in 2 years. I saw it as a waste of time.

I love my car. But I don't love it $1800/year so now I'm not sure what to do.

And to the person who asked, yes there is car tax relief, but it only applies to the first 20K - it still saves me $550.

Before I bought my car (the only new car I've ever had), I had a 12 year old car for which I paid $56/year. I had no idea car tax would be this much. I guess I should have known - but it didn't occur to me to look into it.

[karinothing]

Yikes! Okay, I am figuring out the car tax before we purchase.

[ssmjlm]

I would still appeal next year if it doesn't drop enough.

But ummm our last new car was $26k, so our tax bill even after we bought that was still pretty low.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 15, 2012 11:13:20 GMT -5 BirdGirl said:

(I understand I will look less sympathetic when I put this is real numbers.) My car tax is $1820 this year. Last year it was $17-something. The assessment went from $47000 to $51000. I know, I know. The tax was due last week so it's too late to appeal at this point. When I looked into and called, I was told (and it appears to be confirmed by city ordinance) that the only basis to appeal is based on the physical/mechanical condition of the car. My car is in excellent shape and has less than 20,000 miles in 2 years. I saw it as a waste of time.

I love my car. But I don't love it $1800/year so now I'm not sure what to do.

And to the person who asked, yes there is car tax relief, but it only applies to the first 20K - it still saves me $550.

Before I bought my car (the only new car I've ever had), I had a 12 year old car for which I paid $56/year. I had no idea car tax would be this much. I guess I should have known - but it didn't occur to me to look into it.

Yup, you look a lot less sympathetic to me now! ;D

If you lived in my city, your car tax would be $3,060/year.

[ssmjlm]

Oct 15, 2012 11:32:11 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

Oct 15, 2012 10:59:12 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

But you pay more income tax in md.

Though 4000 still seems crazy - did the car tax cuts finally expire?

YES! I gained an extra $160 a month moving from MD to VA. No regrets here...it all goes into my TSP. That is with taking a little extra out for state tax just to make sure I won't owe.

MD is crazy expensive when it comes to registering a car too.

Bird - I know the DMV is a PITA, but I would really get to the bottom of this. It makes no sense...you at least deserve a rational, logical explanation from someone

Eh I would take a higher tax in MD for better government services, but that could be all based on where I lived in MD vs where I live now in VA.

And the increased registration fees I think equal out once you realize how much you pay in personal tax + registration in VA.

[midnightmare81]

Stupid question, but WTF is a car tax? I have always paid tax on the purchase price of a car, but after that its always just reg. cost based on the year grouping your vehicle falls into regardless of make/model.

With taxes like this, I often wonder how people can afford to live...

[LoveTrains]

Oct 15, 2012 12:14:18 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

Stupid question, but WTF is a car tax? I have always paid tax on the purchase price of a car, but after that its always just reg. cost based on the year grouping your vehicle falls into regardless of make/model.

With taxes like this, I often wonder how people can afford to live...

It is a yearly tax, paid to my city, that is based on the assessed value of the car. I live in New England, and I know that they have car tax in at least Maine, Mass & RI. The money is supposed to pay for things like snow plowing, pot hole filling, etc. In RI, the car tax rate varies per city. The rate in my city/town is $60 per $1K of value. So my car is valued at approximately $15K and I pay $900/year.

[mrsjuleshs]

Screw paying tax on a car I already paid a sales tax on. I will keep my $65/year registration.

[Melissa W.]

Oct 15, 2012 12:24:49 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Oct 15, 2012 12:14:18 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

Stupid question, but WTF is a car tax? I have always paid tax on the purchase price of a car, but after that its always just reg. cost based on the year grouping your vehicle falls into regardless of make/model.

With taxes like this, I often wonder how people can afford to live...

It is a yearly tax, paid to my city, that is based on the assessed value of the car. I live in New England, and I know that they have car tax in at least Maine, Mass & RI. The money is supposed to pay for things like snow plowing, pot hole filling, etc. In RI, the car tax rate varies per city. The rate in my city/town is $60 per $1K of value. So my car is valued at approximately $15K and I pay $900/year.

CT does too. We have three vehicles (08 Ford, 04 Ford Truck, 02 Honda) and pay about $700 a year is taxes. I've never heard of a car tax assessment going up but that doesn't mean much.

[Deleted]

Oct 15, 2012 11:32:11 GMT -5 carrotsmakemefat said:

Oct 15, 2012 10:59:12 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

But you pay more income tax in md.

Bird - I know the DMV is a PITA, but I would really get to the bottom of this. It makes no sense...you at least deserve a rational, logical explanation from someone

The DMV has nothing to do with it. It's the city (or county) tax assessment office.

I wrote an impassioned plea to a city councilman about the cost of raising a family in Alex. City and how a 10% penalty really isn't fair. It won't get me anywhere, but at least I felt better writing it. And because we have at-large members of city council, I specifically picked one up for re-election. I figured if anyone would be inclined to help, he might be.

[Deleted]

Oct 15, 2012 12:14:18 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

Stupid question, but WTF is a car tax? I have always paid tax on the purchase price of a car, but after that its always just reg. cost based on the year grouping your vehicle falls into regardless of make/model.

With taxes like this, I often wonder how people can afford to live...

Honestly, this is the first time ever I've considered moving out of our neighborhood. Not so much about the car-tax per se (which applies state-wide) but the cost of raising a family in our city is so damn expensive. We work really hard to be able to afford what most would consider a relatively modest house, etc. (We'll leave my car out of it.)

[karinothing]

Oct 15, 2012 12:26:23 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

Screw paying tax on a car I already paid a sales tax on. I will keep my $65/year registration.

You do realize that registration is just another way to say car tax right? ;D

[midnightmare81]

So you pay tax on it every year just for owning it? I mean I kinda get a house tax, but at least that can keep its value and last longer, you don't eventually have to replace it when it dies...

mrsjuleshs- I'm with you. I already paid tax on it, and am very happy just paying registration on it after...

[mrsjuleshs]

Oct 15, 2012 12:48:21 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oct 15, 2012 12:26:23 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

Screw paying tax on a car I already paid a sales tax on. I will keep my $65/year registration.

You do realize that registration is just another way to say car tax right? ;D

Yes I do but $65/year is a HELL of a lot cheaper thaan this "car tax".

[LoveTrains]

Oct 15, 2012 12:48:21 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oct 15, 2012 12:26:23 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

Screw paying tax on a car I already paid a sales tax on. I will keep my $65/year registration.

You do realize that registration is just another way to say car tax right? ;D

Not really. I pay a $40 registration fee in ADDITION to my car tax.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 15, 2012 12:54:59 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

So you pay tax on it every year just for owning it? I mean I kinda get a house tax, but at least that can keep its value and last longer, you don't eventually have to replace it when it dies...

mrsjuleshs- I'm with you. I already paid tax on it, and am very happy just paying registration on it after...

Yeah, the car tax really sucks in RI. It is really high. I didn't realize that the car tax would be so high when I moved here. It was a shock when I got my first bill.

[karinothing]

Oct 15, 2012 12:55:30 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

Oct 15, 2012 12:48:21 GMT -5 karinothing said:

You do realize that registration is just another way to say car tax right? ;D

Yes I do but $65/year is a HELL of a lot cheaper thaan this "car tax".

Ha, well it depends. I only pay $34 a year in car tax. Remember it is based on the value of your car. When I lived in a state that had "registration" over a "car tax" the amount was tied to the price of the car. So, for a new car the registration was a couple hundred dollars. Other states tie it to the weight of the car (so trucks pay more than cars, since they tear up the road a bit).

Lovetrains - That just means you pay two taxes. One an official car tax and one a registration fee

[Deleted]

Oct 15, 2012 13:00:41 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oct 15, 2012 12:55:30 GMT -5 mrsjuleshs said:

Yes I do but $65/year is a HELL of a lot cheaper thaan this "car tax".

Ha, well it depends. I only pay $34 a year in car tax. Remember it is based on the value of your car. When I lived in a state that had "registration" over a "car tax" the amount was tied to the price of the car. So, for a new car the registration was a couple hundred dollars. Other states tie it to the weight of the car (so trucks pay more than cars, since they tear up the road a bit).

Lovetrains - That just means you pay two taxes. One an official car tax and one a registration fee

VA has a registration fee too.

[karinothing]

Oct 15, 2012 13:03:33 GMT -5 BirdGirl said:

Oct 15, 2012 13:00:41 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Ha, well it depends. I only pay $34 a year in car tax. Remember it is based on the value of your car. When I lived in a state that had "registration" over a "car tax" the amount was tied to the price of the car. So, for a new car the registration was a couple hundred dollars. Other states tie it to the weight of the car (so trucks pay more than cars, since they tear up the road a bit).

Lovetrains - That just means you pay two taxes. One an official car tax and one a registration fee

VA has a registration fee too.

Yeah, I figured it did but I don't remember it. But I was mainly just saying that in states with ONLY registration it is essentially a tax.

But I just figure any money I give the gov is a tax ha ha